FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio — Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in a previous story on July 1, 2022.
A 30-year-old man from Fairview Park was in Rocky River Municipal Court at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday to face a judge amid felony charges for vandalism and ethnic intimidation.
The suspect, identified as Michael Freshwater, was arrested last week in connection with an incident at the Colors+ Youth Center on Lorain Road in which authorities say the building was “vandalized with spray paint” with a “racist message.” He's also accused of breaking a window at the location.
During his court appearance, Freshwater waived his right to a preliminary hearing and bond was continued at $50,000. The case is now bound over to a grand jury.
We streamed live video of Tuesday's court hearing in the player below:
Video of the alleged July 1 crime (watch below) shows the suspect in action with his face covered at the time of the incident.
Police say the suspect’s physical characteristics from the video matched that of a suspect from a June 12 incident at a vacant business in Fairview Centre along Lorain Road, which authorities say was also vandalized with spray paint involving a racist message.
After obtaining a search warrant, authorities say Freshwater was found to be in violation of a Temporary Protection Order and taken into custody without incident.
“Freshwater has an extensive criminal history with Fairview Park Police Department including previous charges for vandalism, obstructing official business, theft, disorderly conduct, felonious assault, endangering children and domestic violence,” according to the Fairview Park Police Department.
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