Police say retaliation may have been the reason a man spray-painted satanic symbols on the side of homes, store fronts and church signs in a southwest Atlanta neighborhood.
Atlanta police arrested Zachariah Williams, 32, after weeks of investigation into the vandalism near Pryor Road.
Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office
The graffiti included “666,” “Die,” “Payback” and “I’m going to kill your kid” written all around the Lakewood Heights neighborhood, according to an Atlanta police incident report.
Investigators believe the graffiti may have been retaliation against a local store owner who reportedly fired Williams.
While working at the 3-Way store on Pryor Road, Williams allegedly vandalized the bathroom of the business with many of the same words that were discovered painted on private and public property in the area, police said.
The city painted over some of the graffiti, only to find Williams struck again days later, the report said.
“Days later there would be more graffiti, so it was relentless,” Maj. Andrew Senzer told Channel 2 Action News.
Police were able to identify Williams as the alleged culprit through tips from the community, Crime Stoppers and a witness statement, investigators said.
He was arrested Tuesday and charged with second-degree criminal damage to property, jail records show. He remains at the Fulton County jail on a $5,000 bond.
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