ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Damage to a rainbow-colored crosswalk created in honor of Albuquerque Pride after several motorcyclists tried to deface it has sparked a police investigation.
Albuquerque police launched a probe this week after authorities received several videos of the attack Wednesday on the crosswalk located along the historic Route 66, the Albuquerque Journal reports .
One video posted online shows dozens of bikers riding along Route 66 before a couple of them take turns burning rubber over the crosswalk. Another biker appears to suffer a blowout from the effort and duckwalks his bike to the curb, its back tire flopping around on the rim.
"The facts will determine the appropriate charges, including whether damages amount to misdemeanor or felony charges," Albuquerque police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said Thursday. "City crews attempted to clean the crosswalks today. It is not yet clear whether some portions will need to be re-striped."
The crosswalk was just days old at the time of the episode.
A contractor installed the crosswalk last Friday in honor of Pride Week and the city's LGBT community. It cost the city about $30,000 — roughly three times the price of a traditional crosswalk paint job.
No arrests have been made.
City road crews on Thursday power-washed the surface, applied a solvent and used a street-sweeper, said Johnny Chandler, a spokesman for the city's Department of Municipal Development.
Chandler said the city considers the project more than a paint job. It was intended as a sign of inclusiveness, he said.
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