KEY POINTS

  • Micah Beals, 37, was arrested Monday and charged with second-degree criminal mischief
  • The actor, also known as Micah Femia, was caught on camera throwing paint on a George Floyd statue
  • The statue was temporarily restored for around $2,000, but a full restoration would cost $20,000

A 37-year-old actor was arrested Monday for vandalizing a George Floyd statue at a New York City park earlier this month, police said.

Micah Beals, also known by his stage name Micah Femia, was charged with second-degree criminal mischief, the New York City Police Department’s Hate Crimes Division announced in a statement Sunday.

The Manhattan-based actor, who appeared in the television shows "Parks and Recreation" and "CSI: NY," was caught on surveillance cameras throwing silver paint on the face and base of the statue in Union Square Park on the morning of Oct. 3, according to police.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul called Beals' vandalism of the statue of Floyd, who was murdered by a Minnesota police officer in 2020, an "act of cowardice and hate" that was "reprehensible."

The wood and bronze statue was vandalized 48 hours after it was installed in the park, Confront Art co-founder Lindsay Eshelman was quoted as saying by CBS News.

The 6-foot bust, which Eshelman's group is responsible for, had also been vandalized by a group of four people after it was previewed in Flatbush, Brooklyn, on Juneteenth, according to the outlet.

The statue of Floyd is part of the "SEEINJUSTICE" exhibition that also includes statues of civil rights activist John Lewis and police shooting victim Breonna Taylor.

All three installations were scheduled to run from Oct. 1 to 30.

A team of volunteers on the scene helped clean Floyd's statue shortly after it had been vandalized, according to Confront Art co-founder Andrew Cohen.

"They went to the hardware and bought supplied out of their own pockets. This is inspiring teamwork and support from the community," Cohen was quoted as saying.

The cost to temporarily restore the bust was around $2,000, while the cost to fully restore it will be about $20,000, CNN reported, citing a criminal complaint.

Beals was arraigned shortly past midnight Tuesday and released on his own recognizance, a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office said.

An investigation into the case is still ongoing.

Beals was previously arrested under his stage name in Washington, D.C., for breaking curfew during the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, a report by The Hill said.

The wooden statue of George Floyd was inaugurated in the presence of Terrence Floyd
The wooden statue of George Floyd was inaugurated in the presence of Terrence Floyd AFP / Ed JONES
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