Iowa City Man Charged with Felony for Allegedly Defacing Oakland Cemetery with Black Marker

An Iowa City man is facing a felony criminal mischief charge after he allegedly defaced several objects at with a black Magic Marker.

According to an Iowa City Police criminal complaint, at 6:30 p.m. last night, Areli Jamal River, 34, of 1140 Prairie Du Chien Road, Iowa City was at the Oakland Cemetery at 1000 Brown Street. While there, River is accused of using a marker to write on the cemetery fences, garage doors, and "other numerous areas," according to the complaint.

River was allegedly observed leaving the cemetery by the cemetery supervisor, who then confronted him, according to the complaint. River allegedly admitted to defacing the property with the marker and said he had been doing so for the past few days, according to the complaint. The approximate cost to restore the property has been estimated to be $1,200.

River is facing a charge of second-degree criminal mischief, a Class D felony for the alleged offense. The minimum qualification for this charge is causing more than $1,000 in damages to property.