U.S.

Attorney: Man regrets defacing Confederate monument with "loser" sign

/ AP

RICHMOND, Va. - The attorney for a man charged with defacing a Confederate monument in Richmond, Virginia, says his client regrets the action.

Attorney Daniel Watkins says Joseph Weindl will reimburse the city for restoration costs.

Police say the 39-year-old Richmond man spray-painted an "L'' on the granite base of a monument honoring Confederate President Jefferson Davis on June 28. Weindl is charged with intentionally defacing a public monument.

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Watkins said Tuesday in a statement that Weindl told police the "L'' stood for "loser."

Confederate symbols have been the focus of debate since the June 17 massacre at an African-American churchin Charleston, South Carolina. The accused gunman had posed in photographs with the Confederate battle flag.

Watkins says Weindl wants to find legal and positive ways to foster dialogue on the issue.

First published on July 1, 2015 / 2:18 PM EDT

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