SALEM — Two men were arrested over the weekend for graffiti linked to a white supremacist group, police said Monday.
Kyle Morelli, 27, of Salem, and Alex Beilman, 27, of Meriden, Conn., were arrested at approximately 9:48 p.m. Saturday when Salem Police Officer Edgar Green responded to the MBTA train station on Bridge Street. As he arrived at the station, Green saw the two men, who were wearing hoods and masks, engaged in what appeared to be tagging of public property.
When Morelli and Beilman saw Green, they hid items in a backpack and attempted to walk away. Once detained, Green found that they had fresh paint on their hands and clothing and had two cans of spray paint and two stencils. There was also fresh paint on the wall, police said.
The police department has investigated several incidents of graffiti and vandalism downtown and in the surrounding areas over the past several months involving tags from the group Patriot Front. Patriot Front has been identified by the Anti-Defamation League and other watchdog agencies as a white supremacist, racist and anti-Semitic group.
The stencils that Morelli and Beilman had in their possession read “Strong families make strong nations, Patriot Front.US” and “Defend American Labor, Patriot Front.US.”
Both men have been charged with vandalism and tagging. Additional charges may be brought as the investigation continues, police said.
