Ashtabula — The covered bridges Ashtabula County is known for, became a target for vandals Tuesday.
Someone tagged the pagoda and signage all over Indian Trails Park.
The park overlooks the Smolen Gulf Bridge, which is the longest covered bridge in the United States and one of 19 covered bridges nestled in Ashtabula County.
Defaced in the dark of night by derelicts.
"It broke my heart," says Casey Billington of Sheffield Township.
When Billington saw the graffiti pictures on social media, she grabbed her kids, 10-year-old Cole and 7-year-old Olivia, along with a whole collection of cleaning products to cut through the paint.
"We don't look kindly on vandalism. We're trying to encourage more tourists to come and the covered bridge festival is in a couple month, so we want to put our best foot forward. THIS is our best foot forward, not what was here," said Billington.
Ashtabula County Sheriff's Deputies are doing more surveillance near the bridge now.
The pledge from police is that the vandals who spray painted this place that is special to so many, “will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law”.
To whoever that is, Billington would like to say, “I hope you can learn a lesson from seeing children probably half your age clean up your mess."
After the Billington bunch rolled up their sleeves, a beautiful thing happened.
Victoria from Ashtabula Township showed up to scrub too, saying she took the vandalism personally.
She told Channel 3 News she is sick over the spray paint scribbled all over what she calls her happy place.
"It is! It really is. We come here all the time to take in the beauty of the bridge and nature," Victoria told us.
Then more people showed up, including guys with power washers.
By 7pm Tuesday, several make-your-heart-happy people were having the last say. And good trumped bad.
The lesson at the end of the day for the littles whose hands helped undo the vandalism?
"Take care of your community and respect other's property," said Billington, proud to have treated her kids to the hands-on lesson.
Call the Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Department with any information that could lead to an arrest at 440 576-9046.