Salem's 'Bewitched' Statue Cleans Up Well After Vandalism

SALEM, MA — An apparent act of vandalism had fans of Salem's iconic "Bewitched" statue seeing red on Monday.

The statue of the Elizabeth Montgomery-portrayed character Samantha from the 1960s and 1970s TV classic "Bewitched" — which was filmed in Salem during its final season — was doused with red paint Monday afternoon to the shock and dismay of downtown diners, tourists and those who revere what has become one of the landmarks of the Witch City.

"Was disappointed to hear the Bewitched Samantha statute downtown was vandalized," Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll posted on social media. "I'm grateful to (Salem police) for their quick work apprehending the individual responsible.

"We'll work to get the statue cleaned, as fast as a twitch of Samantha's nose."

Sure enough, by nightfall, the "Bewitched" statue was pretty much back to its good, old bronze self — with perhaps a few crimson highlights here and there.

Salem police told WHDH-TV that the suspect fled toward the MBTA station where he was caught.

Police told the station he is facing resisting arrest and defacing property charges.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)