The Same Middletown Man Also Charged With Graffiti In Hazlet

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — A Middletown young man charged with leaving a slew of anti-police graffiti in the Oak Hill section is also accused of leaving similar graffiti in Hazlet.

Hazlet Police said the profanity-laced, anti-police graffiti started appearing on Parkview Drive, Linda Place, Rutgers Street, Princeton Place and North Stevens Place in Hazlet on August 31.

Police investigated and said three local young men were seen doing the tagging during the early morning hours: Alex Rollin,19, of Hazlet was arrested and charged with criminal mischief; Joshua Bowen, 20, of Hazlet was charged with criminal mischief, and Charles Traina, 20, of Middletown was charged with criminal mischief.

It is the same Traina accused of leaving multiple anti-police messages in the Oak Hill section of Middletown. That graffiti started appearing August 24 on Howland Road, Lyon Road and other streets in Oak Hill, reading BLM (Black Lives Matter) and ACAB (All Cops Are Bad), "Smash Racism," F*** ICE and "Bootlicker." Other graffiti showed the anarchy symbol and FTP, which stands for "F*** the police;" the second tag read "We See U, Pigs" with a picture of an eye.

"It is the same person and our detectives worked with Middletown PD to develop leads and solve both," said Hazlet Police Chief Ted Wittke. "We did not arrest (Traina) though, just charged him with a summons for criminal mischief."

In one of the taggings, Middletown police said Traina taunted them, painting "come get me MPD."

Middletown police said Traina, after he was arrested, admitted to detectives that he was the person responsible for the graffiti. Related: Middletown Man Charged With Leaving Anti-Police Graffiti (Dec. 10)