Odessa Man Admits Damaging $88,000 Fallen Officer Statue at Police Department

ODESSA, TX — A 35-year-old man admitted to vandalizing the custom $88,000 Fallen Officer Statue that stands in front of Odessa Police Department headquarters, the police stated.

Jon Adam Zuniga faces charges of criminal mischief valued between $30,000 and $150,000, a third-degree felony; criminal mischief, a Class B misdemeanor; and failure to identify to a peace officer, a Class C misdemeanor.

Odessa police arrested Zuniga after responding to multiple incidents on May 17. At about 9:40 a.m., officers were called to University and Andrews avenues for a report that an unknown man used a metal pole to smash an electrical meter belonging to Oncor. Officers spotted a matching suspect walking south on Andrews. He initially refused to identify himself but was later identified as Zuniga.

Detectives later learned Zuniga had also damaged the sword on the custom limited-edition Fallen Officer Statue, which belongs to the city. Zuniga admitted to the vandalism during an interview, police said.

Earlier that day, at about 2:51 a.m., officers had responded to 1300 E. 8th St. — the location of a Stripes convenience store — after someone threw a large rock through the front glass door. Investigators identified Zuniga as the suspect in that case as well. Detectives are seeking an additional criminal mischief warrant.