2 charged with hate crime after allegedly defacing Black Lives Matter mural in California

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Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Man arrested after allegedly pulling gun on supporter of BLM mural in Martinez
An arrest was made moments after a driver allegedly yelled, "All lives matter," and pulled a gun on a member of a crowd watching over the Black Lives Matter mural in Martinez.

MARTINEZ, Calif. -- Two Martinez, California residents are facing multiple charges after allegedly defacing a Black Lives Matter mural in front of the city's courthouse.



Tuesday, the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office charged 42-year-old Nichole Anderson and 53-year-old David Nelson with three misdemeanor counts, including a hate crime.



On Saturday, July 4, Anderson was caught on camera by a witness using black paint to cover up the mural, which was permitted by the city.



"Nelson directly aided in the alleged criminal conduct," officials said.



On July 1, a local Martinez resident applied for a permit to paint the Black Lives Matter temporary mural in downtown Martinez in front of the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, according to the district attorney.



The permit was approved by the City of Martinez and the painting was done on July 4.



WATCH: Video shows confrontation between artists, pair painting over BLM mural


A Black Lives Matter mural was defaced in Martinez Saturday and now police are investigating.This video shows a confrontation between the artists and the pair painting over the mural
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