Christian Santacroce, 18, of Middletown, N.J., was charged with a Class D felony, criminal trespassing, making graffiti and possession of a graffiti instrument, said Sgt. Tom Connellan of the Syracuse Police Department.  

 

Santacroce painted graffiti on a Burger King billboard across Interstate 81. The message was still visible from the Brockway Dining Center as of Tuesday night. 

The message read ‘False’ in yellow paint, with the name ‘Avery’ painted on the ‘e’ in ‘False.’

 

The graffiti was meant to be seen by Santacroce’s girlfriend, a Syracuse University student living in university housing by the highway, Connellan said. 

 

Santacroce painted the sign from the 500 block of Birch Street. Police saw him painting the sign from a nearby street on Monday around 2 a.m. 

 

When he saw police, Santacroce ran and was eventually caught hiding in the area, Connellan said. 

 

Damage to the sign was estimated at $1,500, Connellan said. 

 

rastrum@syr.edu