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Rizzo statue egged, N.J. man arrested

Somebody egged the statue of former Mayor Frank L, Rizzo outside of the Municipal Services Building.

Philadelphia Police stand watch around the Frank Rizzo statue outside of the Municipal Service Building on JFK Blvd in center city Philadelphia on Thursday, August 17, 2017. This statue was egged by vandals.
Philadelphia Police stand watch around the Frank Rizzo statue outside of the Municipal Service Building on JFK Blvd in center city Philadelphia on Thursday, August 17, 2017. This statue was egged by vandals.Read moreMICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer

Philadelphia police arrested a 25-year-old Maplewood, N.J., man Wednesday after he was spotted throwing eggs at the Center City statue of former Mayor Frank L. Rizzo.

The man, whose name was not immediately released, fled from the scene after egging the statue outside the Municipal Services Building. He was caught and charged with disorderly conduct and criminal mischief, police said. The vandalism was captured by 6abc cameras on the scene.

Authorities did not cite a motive. In the wake of the deadly Charlottesville, Va., confrontation, the statue has drawn new scrutiny of the former mayor and defenses of his record.

Egg was still on the statue at 11 a.m. as a few officers on bicycles milled about near it.

A woman who would not give her name but said she worked in the Municipal Services Building said she was not there when the statue was egged, but addedm "I was around when [Rizzo] was mayor and I was protesting at City Hall for him to be impeached."

Acting on a resource request from Philadelphia police, the Office of Emergency Management deployed security cameras around the statue on Wednesday afternoon, said Nicole Foizen, deputy director of public affairs for the office.

On Wednesday evening, a "Philly is Charlottesville" march and rally  was expected to conclude at a church across from the statue.