Arrest made in vandalism of Merced war memorial

A 45-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of vandalizing the Merced County War Memorial in Courthouse Park, according to the Merced County Sheriff’s Department.

Suspect Gerardo Ybarra Valencia was taken into custody about 2 p.m. Friday on the street in the 300 block of East 15th Street, according to Deputy Delray Shelton.

Valencia is accused of spraying black graffiti on the World War II side of the memorial during the early morning hours of Jan. 10. The memorial lists the names of Merced County military men and women who died in the nation’s wars.

Deputies learned during their investigation that Valencia was confronted by a man while he was vandalizing the memorial. Valencia allegedly assaulted the man and his dog with a weapon. The victim and his dog were not hurt, according to Shelton.

Deputies have not elaborated on what type of weapon Valencia allegedly used.

Volunteers tried to remove the graffiti from the memorial, but dark stains remain. Shelton said county officials are still looking into options to repair the memorial; professionals have estimated the replacement cost at about $12,000 if the damage can’t be repaired.

Valencia was booked into the Merced County jail on suspicion of felony vandalism, felony cruelty to animals and felony assault with a deadly weapon. He is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Ralph Gonzales, 77, an Army veteran who played a role in establishing the memorial more than 20 years ago, was very happy to hear news of the arrest Friday afternoon.

“God bless the deputies. I feel so relaxed now. God bless the USA for all of our war heroes,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales said he’s still shocked that someone would damage a memorial dedicated to fallen war heroes. “What makes these people do this?” he said.

Deputies haven’t elaborated on a motive for the vandalism.

Joe Cortez, 73, an Army veteran who serves on the executive board of Merced American Legion Post 83, was pleased the arrest came relatively quickly, less than a week after the incident happened.

Cortez expressed surprise over the suspect’s age. “I figured it would be a young kid. I am glad they finally arrested somebody, but I am kind of surprised by the age,” he said.

This story was originally published January 16, 2015 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Arrest made in vandalism of Merced war memorial."