FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida man was arrested after, police said, they caught him using spray paint to cover up pro-Palestinian graffiti at a South Florida highway.
Thirty-year-old Yoni Maimon was charged with two counts of criminal mischief.
“The boss called me around 8 a.m. and told me about some ‘Free Palestine,’ and if I can cover,” said Maimon. “I drive through I-95 next to exit 27 and I saw under the bridge the ‘Free Palestine,’ ‘Free Gaza,’ and then I went to Home Depot, bought the spray, and I just covered everything.”
According to the arrest report, on Jan. 2, Florida Highway Patrol Troopers were dispatched to the scene on Interstate-95, near Marina Mile Boulevard, after receiving reports of “possible vandalism.”
Once at the scene, troopers found Maimon holding a spray paint can. A trooper then pulled out a taser and ordered Maimon to put the can down.
According to Maimon, he told troopers that he is from Israel and was trying to cover up the pro-Palestinian messages.
“I have family in Israel. I don’t like to see it,” he said. “It is a terrorist organization. They kidnap and kill people every day.”
Maimon painted over the words with gray spray paint, which he thought was the same color as the wall.
After FHP arrived, he was then cuffed, book and taken to the Broward County jail were he spent nine hours.
“They put the handcuff on my leg and on my hand,” Maimon said. “Then they asked me questions and I tell them I just covered the ‘Free Palestine,’ like nothing wrong, just ‘Free the Palestine,’ and they took me to the jail.”
Maimon’s boss, Eran Hazan, said that the troopers actions towards his employee were “very unfair” and humiliating. He said they should have given him a warning because Maimon wasn’t causing extra damage and was using the gray spray paint to match the rest of the wall.
Both Maimon and Hazan work at an organization called Yedidim USA, which does charity work in the South Florida Jewish community. The organization fed first responders after the Surfside collapse condo in 2021 and has sent humanitarian aid to Israel during its war with Hamas.
“Yoni has been working at our organization for four and a half years. This guy is an angel,” Hazan said. “He helps out families from the moment he wakes up in the morning until he goes to sleep.”
Hazan also cited the Israel-Hamas conflict and said the troopers should have recognized what Maimon was doing.
“For the results, I feel bad. I don’t feel bad for making the decision to cover it up,” Hazan said. “If I knew it was illegal and we were going to get in trouble for it, of course I wouldn’t direct him to do it. It’s common sense, you know, you see it everywhere. You understand that we’re only trying to cover hate.”
According to Florida law, the arrestee has to “willfully and maliciously injure or damage property.” It is a charge that both Yoni and his boss said it was not their intent.
“He could get a warning, of course he would leave the place very peacefully and understand what he is legally doing wrong and leave the scene,” Hazan said. “It was very extreme to cuff him and take him to jail.”
FHP Lt. Indiana Miranda released the following statement, which reads as follows, “There was probable cause and evidence of the subject spraying over the signs. Therefore an arrest was made by the officer. Officer may use discretion on traffic citations by issuing a warning. When it comes to misdemeanor/felony offenses arrest are made or a Notice to Appear (without physical arrest), & given a court date if applicable on some offenses. I saw your email for records for the dash camera. Records can handle that request. The arrestee is not the company hired to remove any graffiti therefore is considered vandalism/ criminal mischief.”
When asked if he regrets it, Maimon said, “No. Next time, I’ll call the city, which is what the police told me, and it’ll take care of it.”
Maimon said he has learned his lesson and has hired an attorney in hopes of working things out.
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