Racine police Thursday arrested a man who first spray-painted surfaces in Island Park and then tried to enter the camper of a transient man.
James Baumeister, 22, was charged Friday in Racine County Circuit Court with two misdemeanor counts of criminal damage to property and one misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed weapon. Because he has recent past convictions, Baumeister is considered a repeat offender. If he is convicted of all charges, he faces just over six years in prison and/or up to $30,000 in fines.
According to the criminal complaint, a man known to police for living in a camper and parking in an alley near the 2400 block of Washington Avenue reported several people were trying to enter his camper. When officers arrived on scene, they found three individuals nearby, all of them with blue paint on their hands. The defendant also had a knife in his pocket and was in possession of a spray paint can.
Police say Baumeister admitted he was a convicted felon, and a witness said they witnessed Baumeister and another man using spray paint on a surface at Island Park. Baumeister is known to use the tag, “Chucky,” and officers found the word on a bridge over the Root River and on a pavilion in the park as well.
Baumeister was assigned a $1,000 signature bond and will next be in court on June 13 for a status conference.
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