Lakeland Authorities Search For Spray-Painting Vandal

LAKELAND, FL - Lakeland deputies are searching for a vandal responsible for spray painting graffiti on businesses in Lakeland. One of the buildings hit with graffiti was the Polk Theater in downtown Lakeland, according to authorities.

Authorities say the vandal appears to be a young boy. A security camera caught the vandal spray painting outside a Lakeland business.

One of the words, the suspect spray painted on a building: "Kerm." Deputies say the definition of Kerm is "a derogatory term used to describe one who lacks full comprehension of a particular situation; one who cannot grasp the unspoken social edicts of contemporary society."

"Some people think that graffiti is art, and it can be, but not when it's put on someone else's property. That's when it becomes criminal vandalism. But what this dude is doing is called tagging. And it's ugly. And criminal. It's criminally ugly," the Polk County Sheriff's Office posted on its Facebook page.

If you have any information that might be helpful, contact detectives at 863-499-2400 or log onto www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com.

Image via Shutterstock; video via Polk County Sheriff