Masked Man Throws Paint On UWS Teddy Roosevelt Statue, Cops Say

UPPER WEST SIDE, MANHATTAN — Cops are looking for a man who threw paint onto the Teddy Roosevelt statue at the American Museum of Natural History last week.

The man, wanted on criminal mischief charges, threw paint on the statue just after 1 p.m. on Friday, June 5, police said. He was seen riding away on a bike down Central Park West.

Police did not specify whether the incident was part of police brutality protests held across the city on Friday and throughout the last two weeks, but it is not the first time paint has been thrown on the controversial monument.

In years past, the 10-foot-tall statue has been a focal point of Columbus Day protests, according o Gothamist. It depicts the Roosevelt on horseback flanked by an indigenous man and an African-American man.

Anyone with information in regard to the identity of this male is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.