Who Defaced Snell Isle Statues?

From Snell Isle Boulevard on a bright afternoon, it is impossible to see what's left of the black paint that marred two historic statues, a bench and a plaque to the neighborhood's founder.

The Tampa Bay Times is reporting that someone tagged the century-old statues last week, and St. Petersburg Police say they may already have leads on the culprits. Police declined to further comment.

The black paint masked the eyes of two marble statues of women and a griffin that supported one of the benches. An "A" encircled was painted on a tribute marker to founder Percy Snell.

On Wednesday, most of the black paint had been cleaned from the statues and memorial. But outlines of the damage were visible. The promenade is off Snell Isle Boulevard, at the entrance to the waterfront community.

The president of the Snell Isle Association reported the damage to police.

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