Advertisement Police arrest vandalism suspect Newman School cancels first day of classes due to threatening messages Share Shares Copy Link Copy

New Orleans police said they arrested a 19-year-old man Thursday in connection to multiple reports of vandalism.Authorities said Second District detectives received a Crimestoppers tip that led them to identifying the suspect as Peter Curtis and obtaining a search warrant for his residence. Based on the facts of the investigation, detectives arrested Curtis.The arrest came a day after Newman School officials canceled school for the week after because of threatening messages spray painted on the outside of its building.School officials confirmed Wednesday that the messages were posted on the exterior of the kindergarten through 12th-grade building.The school is located Uptown on Jefferson Avenue.New Orleans police said the messages were spray painted just after 1:30 a.m. The first day of classes is Thursday, and one message warned school officials to not open the school.Surveillance video showed what appears to be a white man wearing a mask and dark clothing. He was seen carrying a dark backpack and wearing a dark hat.Investigators said the individual, now identified as Curtis, can be seen spray painting multiple threatening and vulgar messages on several buildings.New Orleans police and the FBI's Hate Crime Division have been brought in to assist.Authorities believe Curtis may be connected to other similar incidents:A school staff member noticed graffiti on the front exterior wall of a school's gym in the 1900 block of Jefferson Avenue on the morning of July 18. Surveillance video from 1:45 a.m. on July 17 showed the suspect walking up to the front of the gym building and using a can of red spray paint to draw graffiti and on the sidewalk near the entrance of the building.Second district officers responded to a report of criminal mischief in the 6200 block of Perrier Street about 4:15 p.m. on July 20. Officers observed red and black writing spray painted on the wall of a Children's Advocacy Center.At 7:26 a.m. on July 20, a school staff member called police after noticing words on the front doors of a school that had been spray painted with red paint in the 1900 block of Jefferson Avenue.Three graffiti incidents happened in the 900 block of Calhoun on July 22, 24 and 27, but were never reported. Another graffiti incident was reported in the 6200 block of Perrier Street on Aug. 3.On July 30, someone vandalized the front door and a sign in the 7100 block of Plum Street. The incident was reported during the afternoon of Aug. 1.Stay with WDSU.com for updates.Keep up with local news, weather and current events with the WDSU app here.Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news right in your inbox. Click here to sign up!