Four St. Petersburg murals destroyed by vandals with gray paint

ST. PETERSBURG — Story Stuart’s coffee shop was iconic before it officially opened last year.

She had a gorgeous mural to thank for that. It became what her small cafe in the Old Southeast was known for: A man with thick-rimmed glasses sitting in front of an intricate geometric pattern beside the words "the casual fight."

"People would take pictures of their coffee in front of it," Stuart said.

It’s the main image that shows up when one looks up her quaint shop on Google. The painting — one of dozens that have become the core of St. Petersburg’s identity — was completed just before her shop opened.

Now the word "HATER" is strewn across it and much of the mural is covered in gray paint.

It’s one of four of the city’s sprawling murals vandals have destroyed since the beginning of the month, police said.

Who’s responsible? Police and business owners don’t know.

"It’s sad for us and the community," Stuart said from inside her shop on Thursday. "We’re a transitional area and the appearance of new art work … puts us on the map."

The damages are estimated in the thousands and thousands of dollars, police said.

Police released surveillance video that shows a man and a women carrying paint cans as they walk near muraled Planet Retro record store in the 200 block of Martin Luther King Jr. St. N.

Their faces are covered, but police are hopeful the video could lead them to the vandals’ identities.

Police said the vandalism to the record shop’s elaborate flower design happened some time on Jan. 12.

The first incident was reported earlier this month. Some time between Jan. 1 and 5, paint was thrown on an orange and blue warehouse mural at 2338 Emerson Ave. S. Police estimated the damage at $5,000.

Another report came from Stop & Shop at 432 First Avenue N, where a geometric mural was splashed with the gray paint overnight between Jan. 13 and 14.

Between the next day and Jan. 17, gray paint and the word "HATER" showed up on the mural of a man at the Stuart’s shop: Story Brooke Craft Coffee Bar at 1437 Fourth St. S.

"The murals are a total loss artistically and a huge loss for the community," the police department wrote in a news release.

Stuart has heard rumblings in the community that the vandalism may be routed in a feud among the artists’ fans.

The murals that splattered with paint were mainly by local artists Thirst McFly and Sebastian Coolidge.

Neither artist could be immediately reached for comment. Police would not comment on whether some sort of feud could be a motive behind the vandalism.

Stuart said her shop celebrates its first-year anniversary this Saturday.

"Public art is supposed to be for everyone," she said. "If you have some personal vendetta you shouldn’t take it out on the art because it means so much to the community and the city’s culture."

Anyone with information can call the St. Petersburg Police Department at 727-893-7780.

Contact Sara DiNatale at [email protected] Follow @sara_dinatale.