New York man charged with spraying paint on 9/11 Memorial panels

A New York man has been charged with painting graffiti on panels surrounding one of the 9/11 Memorial pools, police said Wednesday. 

Around 5 p.m. Monday, Port Authority police said they were notified by the 9/11 Memorial Museum that a man had been detained in connection with the vandalism of memorial panels on the north side of the North Tower Pool.

Images from local media outlets showed red paint scrawled across some of the memorial panels that bear names of those killed in the terrorist attacks in 2001.

The images of the spray painted message said " ... Just Stop Killing Kids."

Officers arrested the man, identified as Johnathan Tijerina, 31, of New York. Police could provide no further specific address or motive for the incident.

Tijerina was taken to Manhattan Central Booking for processing, police said. He faces charges of criminal mischief and making graffiti, police said.

In a statement from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the spray paint has been cleaned up.

"The 9/11 Memorial is a sacred place of reflection at the heart of a rebuilt World Trade Center that honors the 2,983 victims killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 and Feb. 26, 1993 terrorist attacks, the statement said. "This brief incident was swiftly addressed by security staff and law enforcement, and the impacted area was immediately restored to its commemorative state."