Man Accused Of Spray-Painting Derogatory Message Outside Black Family's Home Charged
BUTLER CITY, Pa. (KDKA) -- A Butler County man is facing ethnic intimidation charges after police say he spray-painted a derogatory message outside of a Black family's home.
Philip Rienzi, 44, of Butler City, is facing misdemeanor criminal mischief and ethnic intimidation charges.
According to the Butler City Police, Rienzi was caught on a surveillance camera in the neighborhood and later admitted to doing the spray painting.
Police say he told them he did it "because of recent interactions he had with" the man who lives in the house.
A pedestrian found and reported the graffiti on East Brady Street on Tuesday.
Butler City Parks crews attempted to remove it from the front of the family's home, but were unable to do so.
The family's landlord was then called in and managed to clean it up.