by Leslie Layton
A Chico man who had been previously committed to a mental health facility was charged Friday with vandalism and violating civil rights, according to a press release from the Butte County District Attorney’s Office.
The press statement says Thomas David Bona, 33, was charged in Butte County Superior Court and will return to court to respond to charges at 8:30 a.m. June 19.
Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey’s statement says Bona was charged after committing “various acts of racist and non-racist graffiti throughout the City of Chico over the last two months.”
However, the statement doesn’t indicate that charges are being filed in connection with all 10 of the sites that were struck in the June 2 graffiti assault on southwest Chico and is specific only in relation to several properties.
Ramsey’s statement says Bona was “seen on surveillance cameras” tagging at the Valero gas station on West 1st Street, “and has been charged with two other vandalisms to local buildings.”
Chico police arrested Bona in a separate incident on June 12. He’s been charged with vehicle vandalism with a hate crime allegation in connection with that incident.
Ramsey’s statement describes Bona as “homeless” and says he “has been previously committed to mental health facilities.”