Allyson Fairbanks, of Queens, charged with defacing Roosevelt statue during Mineola protest
The statue was splashed with a red substance during a pro-Palestinian rally at the Nassau County government building in Mineola Saturday. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
A Queens woman faces charges after she threw a red liquid on a statue of President Theodore Roosevelt in Mineola during a protest Saturday, Nassau police said.
The pro-Palestinian protest was underway about 2:30 p.m. outside the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building on Franklin Avenue when Allyson Fairbanks, 60, threw a red-colored liquid on the statute of the former president and Oyster Bay resident, police said.
Fairbanks fled the scene; the incident caused about $2,000 in damage, police said.
After an investigation, detectives located Fairbanks and placed her under arrest without incident. Police did not identify the liquid.
Fairbanks pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges of second-degree criminal mischief and making graffiti at First District Court in Hempstead, according to court documents. Judge Lisa LoCurto ordered her released with nonmonetary conditions.
Fairbanks was represented by the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County at her arraignment and will retain counsel, according to Nicole Turso, a spokesperson for Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly's office. Court records indicate Fairbanks is scheduled to return to court on April 4.
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