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Vandals spray paint #MeToo on kissing sailor statue in Sarasota

Posted at 9:11 AM, Feb 19, 2019
and last updated 2019-02-19 19:17:14-05

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Police are trying to find the people responsible for spray painting "#MeToo" on a large statue in downtown Sarasota.

Officers noticed the vandalism just before 1 a.m. Tuesday.

The statue titled "Unconditional Surrender" is a 25-foot tall metal structure sitting along Sarasota's bayfront depicting the iconic image of a sailor kissing a woman on V-J Day in Times Square.

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According to Sarasota Police, the paint covers the length of the woman's leg and caused an estimated $1,000 in damage.

No surveillance video is available in the area, and there are no known witnesses.

The spray paint was cleaned off the statue Tuesday morning.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the Sarasota Police Department Patrol Division at 941-954-7025 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling 941-366-TIPS or online at www.sarasotacrimestoppers.com.