Queens graffiti vandal arrested after spray-painting his name all over ex-girlfriend's neighborhood: police
Mohamed Rasul, who goes by the graffiti name 'Sonik,' after the famous video game character, was nabbed for spray-painting his tag name more than 20 times over his ex-girlfriend's Richmond Hill neighborhood, according to police. He said he wanted his ex to see his name everyday so she would never forget him.
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Mohamed Rasul, 24, a graffiti vandal known as 'Sonik,' was arrested for 22 counts of making graffiti and criminal mischief, police said.
He wasn’t a hedgehog, but he was pretty blue.
A lovesick graffiti vandal known as “Sonik” was busted for blanketing his girlfriend’s Queens neighborhood with his tag after a drunken fight so she could never escape seeing his name, police said Saturday.
“He wanted his name in her face,” a police source said. “He wanted her to see his name and never be forgotten.”
Sonik’s tag was found spraypainted more than 20 times around Richmond Hill, mostly on Liberty Ave., after his Nov. 17 spree, officials said.
His nickname was sprayed on the walls of businesses and homes, rolled-down gates and utility poles.
Investigators determined Sonik was actually Mohamed Rasul, 24, who earned his nickname with his wild hair, reminiscent of the famous blue hedgehog from the popular Sega video game.
Police arrested Rasul Friday.
“Sonik was just not quite fast enough!” Deputy Inspector Jeffrey Schiff, the commanding officer of the 106th Precinct, tweeted on @nypd106Pct after the arrest, one of the most popular precinct Twitter handle in the NYPD with more than 3,600 followers.
Rasul was charged with 18 counts of making graffiti and criminal mischief and ordered held on $2700 bail during his Saturday morning arraignment in Queens Criminal Court.
He wore a grey hoodie, grey sweat pants and a black pea coat and said nothing during his brief court appearance. His trademark hair was a puffy and unkempt mess.
He confessed to the graffiti spree, officials said.
Police Handout Police said Rasul wanted his ex-girlfriend to see his name everyday, so she would never forget him.“I’m sorry for what I've done,” he told police, according to prosecutors. “I was really drunk when I did that and I’m sorry.”
Rasul was arrested for slashing his mother’s tire outside their Queens Village home in December and for rape in 2009, police said.
But his lawyer said the alleged tagging spree would be out of character for Rasul.
“He has no history of doing this,” lawyer Eugene Sarchiapone said after Rasul’s arraignment.
“It was an argument and alcohol — at least that’s what they’re charging.”
