In Delray Beach, Florida, police are investigating yet another act of vandalism at a prominent LGBTQ Pride mural — the third attack since the intersection was first painted in 2021. Security footage released by Delray Beach Police shows a black pickup truck deliberately performing burnouts on the rainbow-painted intersection at Northeast 1st Street and 2nd Avenue.
The driver is seen returning to the intersection not once, but twice on June 17, leaving dark tire marks across the Pride mural. The act occurred squarely in the middle of Pride Month. Officers say the vehicle’s license plate was not clearly visible in the footage, and they are still working to identify the driver.
The first attack ever was on the very day it was unveiled in 2021. Alexander Jerich was arrested for similar damage and later ordered to pay $7,000 in restitution. In February 2024, Dylan Brewer faced the same consequence for another act of vandalism. The timing is also notable: the incident came just days before Atlanta police charged four people with hate crimes for cutting up rainbow flags at another rainbow intersection.
It also happened just weeks before U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy publicly attacked rainbow crosswalks, calling them “distractions” to drivers. Advocates are calling on authorities to treat these repeated acts as hate crimes and not just property damage. As the investigation continues, the LGBTQ community in Florida hopes for stronger protections for public Pride art and for queer visibility in shared spaces.
