SOUTHINGTON, Ct. — Connecticut authorities have arrested two people after a Southington memorial mural, created to honor the victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, was defaced.
Lorenzo Cavallo, 20, of Plainville and Gina Lombardi, 21, of Bristol face first-degree criminal mischief and conspiracy to commit first-degree criminal mischief charges related to the incident that caused more than $2,500 worth of damage, WFSB reported.
The mural features butterflies representing the lives lost when 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed six school staff members and 20 children between the ages of 6 and 7.
Officers with the Southington Police Department have responded to past episodes of vandalism at the site, where the owner donated the back of one structure as the mural’s canvas, but Cavallo and Lombardi are the first suspects accused of defacing the actual artwork, according to a news release.
PRESS RELEASE (CFS 2000052909) Location: 245 Summer St, Southington, CT Arrestee: Lorenzo Cavallo (4/12/2000), 28...
Posted by Southington Police Department on Thursday, January 21, 2021
Specifically, police said the pair marred the memorial with spray paint, but an apologetic Lombardi told investigators her participation was a “bad knee-jerk reaction” to a prior incident with nearby Plainville authorities and that she was unaware of the mural’s significance, WTIC reported.
Both Cavallo and Lombardi surrendered to authorities Tuesday, WFSB reported.
Cox Media Group
