A Confederate monument at an Arizona state government memorial plaza in Phoenix has been cleaned after it was defaced with paint a second time this week amid controversy over Confederate statutes and other honors.
The state Department of Public Safety says troopers early Thursday morning confirmed that the Confederate Troops Memorial at Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza had been painted.
DPS says a suspect described as a white man in his 40s was last seen riding a bicycle nearby. He was last seen wearing a black hat, black shirt and cargo shorts riding a bike in the area of 17th Avenue and Washington.
The Department of Administration says the monument also was cleaned Wednesday after it was painted Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.
Another Arizona monument near Apache Junction was also damaged by unknown vandals.
The Jefferson Davis Highway Memorial monument near Gold Canyon was seen with damage on Thursday morning.
Gov. Doug Ducey on Monday denounced hate groups but refused to heed calls from civil rights leaders to take the lead to remove six Confederate monuments in Arizona.
