A 42-year-old man caught on a surveillance camera dismantling the statue of the Kneeling Soldier at a Cenotaph in Cloverdale has been charged with mischief, Surrey RCMP announced Friday.
Lukasz Paprocki has been charged with one count of mischief over $5,000 and one count of mischief under $5,000, following approval by the BC Prosecution Service.
Paprocki has been arrested and released on conditions before his first court date in September, police said in a news release.
On April 8 police alleged in a news release that a man had pushed the statue of a First World War soldier off the cenotaph on March 29. The man was also alleged to have damaged a number of items outside the Museum of Surrey, based on video surveillance at the time
The oversized 300-kilogram bronze statue was erected in 2006 as part of a Remembrance Day ceremony. It depicts a soldier from WWI kneeling with his helmet in hand, remembering his fallen comrade, according to the City of Surrey.
“This artwork honours and memorializes our war veterans, the role they played in history, and the sacrifices they made to ensure peace for our lives today,” notes the City of Surrey on its website.
