COLUMBUS – Police in Newark say they have arrested a man who says he damaged an historic Vietnam-era helicopter outside an American Legion hall because he was high on methamphetamine and did it on a dare.
Investigators received an anonymous tip on July 5 that a man who used the alias “William Hammon” was the person who broke out two windows of the helicopter, which is located behind a fence on the south side of the American Legion hall on S. 4th Street sometime between June 21 and June 30, causing several thousand dollars in damage, police spokesman Sgt. Clint Eskins said.
After a department wide email was sent, Eskins says “Hammon” was identified as Adam Williams, 21, and detectives from three separate witnesses that Williams was bragging about damaging the helicopter.
When police located and questioned Williams on July 27, the say he admitted to damaging the helicopter when he was high on methamphetamine and that someone had dared him to do it, Eskins said.
Williams was arrested and charged with vandalism of a monument.