Election 2013: Defacing Papenfuse campaign signs, a possible witness?
Wednesday May 15, 2013 at 6:21 pm
By James Roxbury

Click to View

As released by the Papenfuse For Mayor Campaign. May 15,2013:

HARRISBURG POLICE HAVE LICENSE PLATE AND DESCRIPTION OF VANDALS WHO DEFACED PAPENFUSE SIGNS OVER WEEKEND. HARRISBURG, PA - Mayoral Candidate Eric Papenfuse says an eyewitness has provided police with important details of two men who defaced several of his campaign billboards over the weekend, including the license plate number of the car used and descriptions of the people involved.

"We have a credible eyewitness who has already talked to police and provided concrete information to help us identify who defaced our property early Sunday," Papenfuse said. "The eyewitness says the acts were committed by two adult men who used cans of spray paint in a midnight rampage through the city."

The eyewitness said the vandals were well-dressed in suits, with open-collar shirts. "They weren't kids," the eyewitness said. "They looked like business guys. They were driving an SUV."

The eyewitness witnessed the men deface several Papenfuse billboards. The eyewitness provided a full description to police along with the license plate number, and is awaiting a follow-up call from police with an update on the investigation.

The Papenfuse campaign also is awaiting word on possible arrests.

Cameras were trained on the several of the locations and film is now being examined for clues.

Papenfuse called a press conference Monday at the corner of 17th and State Streets to alert the public to the escalation in attacks on his campaign.. He also asked the other candidates in the race to condemn such violence.

"It is deplorable that supporters of my opponents would stoop to defacing our signs in what appears to be a well-planned attack on my campaign," Papenfuse said. "It is one thing to attack a candidate's political ideas and his platform. It is another to vandalize property. It is time all of the candidates in the race made clear to the voters of Harrisburg their opposition to this sort of criminal behavior."

Papenfuse is running for Mayor of Harrisburg on a platform on bringing people together to change the city's political atmosphere.

"It is time we put aside the kind of tactics that would encourage people to deface property, " Papenfuse said. " We can strongly debate the issues and our ideas for Harrisburg, but we must not encourage our supporters to break the law or engage in tactics that threaten the other candidates."

From our published report Monday May 13, 2013.

Eric Papenfuse a candidate for mayor of Harrisburg held a press event calling for all mayoral candidates to publicly denounce vandalism, seven of Papenfuses signs were defaced early Sunday morning.

Part 1. Seven of our billboard signs were vandalized.

Part 2. I'd like all of the candidates to come together and condemn vandalism.

Part 3. How do you come up here and talk about civility when your running these negative ads.

Photo/Natalie Cake

 
Tags: Defaced, Election 2013, Eric Papenfuse, Harrisburg, Mayor Race