The "A" on Hayden Butte as seen on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014 in Tempe. The ASU Alumni Association filed charges with the Tempe Police Department after the "A" was painted with University of Arizona’s colors two weeks prior to the annual Territorial Cup rivalry football game. (Photo by Ben Moffat)In a nail-biting game Friday, the Arizona Wildcats added injury to insult.
The insult came more than two weeks earlier, when a UA fan painted the “A” on Hayden Butte red and blue, complete with the words “Bear down U of A.”
The act, an oft-repeated sign of rivalry, is actually criminal damage, and the ASU Alumni Association filed a police report in an effort to catch the culprit.
According to the police report, the “A” was painted sometime between 11:30 p.m. Nov. 9 and 6:30 a.m. Nov. 10. Police found four paint cans on the mountain, and learned all had been purchased from a Tucson Home Depot about two days earlier.
ASU Alumni Association employee Dan Turbyfill told police the estimated damage was $500.
Tempe Police spokeswoman Molly Enright said the case was fully investigated and police followed up on all the evidence possible. However, due to a lack of evidence, leads and identifiable suspects, the case was closed.
While taking police action may seem like an extreme overreaction, Turbyfill said it is actually standard procedure when the “A” is defaced.
“When damage is done to the Hayden Butte Preserve, a police report is filed,” Turbyfill said in an email. “I believe there have been four reports filed this year.”
ASU spokeswoman Julie Newberg said arrests were “unlikely” to follow the reported damage, but said ASU works to protect the area of Hayden Butte, which is a historic preserve.
“As the keepers of ASU traditions on the mountain, the Alumni Association complies with city regulations by filing the necessary permits whenever it’s time to paint the ‘A,’” Newberg said in an email.
Turbyfill said he could not comment on Tempe Police deciding to close the case, but police officials said after exhausting all evidence, they had no suspect or new clues.
While no one was arrested in this case, people have been arrested at both schools after getting caught defacing property, UA police department spokesman Sgt. Filbert Barrera said.
“If we catch someone up there (on the UA “A” Mountain) damaging property, they will be arrested,” Barrera said. “There is always a chance to catch people in any crime. It depends on the police and the public, any police department wants to know what’s going on.”
Twice last year, someone painted the UA “Wildcat Family” statue gold, Barrera said. He said in his 17 years of experience, people have defaced police cars, statues and been caught trying to paint the football field.
“It does happen, and it’s always criminal damage,” he said.
Barrera said while there is usually some unrest leading up to the Territorial Cup, this year’s was unique because it clinched the Pac-12 South for the kitties. He said the rivalry was more fiery than usual this year.
Although Barrera described himself as a die-hard Wildcat fan, he shared Tempe Police’s sentiments when it came to criminal acts between the schools.
“Respect each other and respect the sport itself,” he said. “Represent your university with class. You can cheer, you can have fun and be proud, but don’t injure people or damage things. That cheapens the rivalry.”
Reach the reporter at cvanek@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @CorinaVanek
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