Copyright Lewiston Morning Tribune
ASOTIN — Finding the vandals who painted “Kill Trump” on the welcome sign here is a priority for the police chief and community members. Mark Heuett, a Snake River Road resident, is offering a $500 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the person (or persons) responsible for the graffiti. On social media, Anatone resident Wayne Bezona said he’ll match that, and many others gave the reward effort a thumbs-up. “We want the perpetrators to know there’s consequences for this kind of bad behavior,” Heuett said Wednesday. “You can dislike the president, that’s your right, but I don’t think you should advocate for killing anyone, and I don’t like vandalism of anyone’s property, private or public.” Police Chief Monte Renzelman said it’s still an active case and one he hopes to solve. To date, no suspects have been identified, and no one has come forward. Since his original news release over the weekend, the chief has learned the vandals struck sometime Friday night. When the Asotin Panthers were returning from a football game around 12:30 a.m. early Saturday, the red words were already on the “Welcome to Asotin” sign, Renzelman said. Numerous residents contacted Renzelman to say they saw the message earlier than what was first reported. Many more called to ask whether he has contacted federal authorities about the threat to President Donald Trump. “Yes, I notified the feds,” the chief said. Other signs on Washington State Route 129 were also damaged, along with rocks on the bike path between Asotin and Clarkston, Renzelman said. One of the highway signs that got tagged is sponsored by the Asotin County Republican Committee. “I’m trying to keep politics out of this,” Renzelman said. “I’m investigating it as a vandalized sign, and finding out who did it is the important thing to me.” Heuett, who is a Republican, said he wouldn’t want to see “kill” before anyone’s name. It’s disappointing to see such a hateful message relayed by certain parts of society, he said. “We don’t like this kind of thing happening in any town, let alone our small town,” Heuett said. “We’re not out to hang or kill anyone, but we do think whoever did this needs to be punished appropriately.” Renzelman said he appreciates the folks who offered a reward, and he plans to keep Heuett in the loop regarding any arrests. Anyone with information about the vandalism can contact 24-hour dispatch at (509) 758-2321. Sandaine can be reached at kerris@lmtribune.com.
