Vandalism

Other Virginia Vandalism Charges

Virginia Vandalism Charges Involving Churches and Cemeteries

• It is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Va. Code §18.2-127(A)(1) to maliciously or willfully destroy, cut, break or injure a tree, shrub or plant on church property or in a cemetery.
• Va. Code §18.2-127(A)(2) prohibits the willful or malicious destruction, mutilation, injury or removal of flowers, wreaths, vases or other ornaments in a church, on church property, on a grave or in a cemetery.  This offense is punished with up to 12 months in jail and a fine up to $2500.
• Willfully or maliciously blocking ingress to or egress from a church or cemetery is a Class 1 misdemeanor under §18.2-127(A)(3).
• It is a Class 6 felony under Va. Code §18.2-127(B) to willfully or maliciously destroy, mutilate, deface, injure or remove any object or structure attached inside a church or on church property.
• Va. Code §18.2-127(B) also prohibits the willful or malicious destruction, mutilation, defacement, injuring or removal of a tomb, monument, gravestone, fence, railing or other structure from a cemetery.  The offender may be ordered to pay restitution to the church or cemetery.
• The unlawful, knowing and intentional exhuming or displacing of a dead body is a Class 4 felony under Va. Code §18.2-126.A.
• Defiling a dead human body is criminalized under Va. Code §18.2-126(B) and is punished with up to 5 years in prison.

Virginia Vandalism Charges Involving Transportation Facilities

• Tampering with traffic control signals and street signs is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Va. Code §46.2-832.
• It is a Class 4 felony under Va. Code §18.2-153 to maliciously obstruct, remove or injure any part of a canal, railroad or electric lines.  Unlawful obstruction, removal or injury of any part of a canal, railroad or electric line is a Class 6 felony.
• It is also a felony under Va. Code §18.2-153 to tamper with any machinery, cars or wires of a canal, railroad or electric line or to tamper with a switch or signal.
• Unlawfully tampering with a railroad signal is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Va. Code §18.2-155.  Maliciously tampering with a railroad signal is a Class 4 felony if the life of any person was put in peril as a result of the tampering.
• Tampering with airplanes, flying devices, and airport, landing field or drop zone signals is a crime under Va. Code §5.1-16 punished with up to 30 days in jail and a $100 fine.
• It is a felony under Va. Code §18.2-147.1 to break the lock of a railroad car, vessel, aircraft or other vehicle or of a pipeline system containing property.
• It is also a Class 3 misdemeanor under §18.2-157 to destroy a cattle stop along a railroad line.
• Tampering with a bouy, beacon or day mark or unintentionally damaging a buoy, beacon or day mark and failing to report the damage is a misdemeanor punished with a fine up to $200 and or 3 months in jail pursuant to Va. Code §62.1-187.
• The willful or malicious destruction of a fence on a railroad line is a Class 3 misdemeanor under Va. Code §18.2-157.

Virginia Vandalism Charges Involving Public Building and Public Property

• It is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Va. Code §18.2-138(i) to willfully and maliciously break the window or door of the state Capitol, a courthouse, a house of public worship, college, schoolhouse, city hall, town hall, public library or other public building if the damage.  If the damage is more than $1000, the offense is a felony punished with up to 5 years in prison.
• Damage or defacement of the Capitol or other public building or any statue in the Capitol Square, or in or on any other public building or property is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Va. Code §18.2-138(ii) if the damage was less than $1000.  It is a Class 6 felony if the damage exceeded $1000.
• Va. Code §18.2-138(iii) provides that destroying any property in the Capitol, a courthouse, a house of public worship, college, schoolhouse, city hall, town hall, public library or other public building is a Class 1 misdemeanor if the damage was less than $1000.  It is a felony if the damage is more than $1000.
• The unauthorized destruction of a tree, fence or herbage on the grounds of the Capitol or in a public square is a Class 3 misdemeanor under Va. Code §18.2-139.
• Damaging or defacing a book or other property in a library or other educational institution is a misdemeanor if the damage to the property is less than $1000 and is a felony if the damage is more than $1000 under Va. Code §18.2-138.
• The willful and malicious destruction of public documents is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Va. Code §42.1-72.
• Va. Code §44-109 provides that willfully or maliciously destroying, injuring or defacing military property is punished with 2 weeks to 2 months in jail or a fine up to twice the value of the property destroyed.
• The unauthorized destruction, removal, damage or molestation of property of the Institute of Marine Science is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Va. Code §28.2-1102.

Virginia Vandalism Charges Involving Vehicles

• Breaking, tampering with or removing any part of a vehicle, aircraft, boat or vessel to destroy the vehicle or prevent it’s useful operation is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Va. Code §18.2-146.
• Entering a vehicle to commit a crime, for malicious mischief, or to cause injury to the vehicle or setting a vehicle in motion without permission is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Va. Code §18.2-147.
• Va. Code §18.2-147.2 states that it is a Class 1 misdemeanor to manufacture, distribute, possess or place on a highway or private property devices designed to puncture tires.
• Damaging another person’s vehicle that is engaged in commerce on a highway is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Va. Code §46.2-818(3).
• The willful or malicious removal of waste or packing from a vehicle operated on a railroad is a felony punished with up to 5 years in prison under §18.2-156.
• Intentionally casting away or destroying a ship or other watercraft with the intent to injure or defraud is a misdemeanor under §18.2-150 if the value of the property destroyed is less than $200.  The same act is a felony if the value of the property is more than $200.
• Tampering with an emergency medical services vehicle with the intent to prevent useful operation is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Va. Code §18.2-151.1.
• Intentionally destroying a rented vehicle or animal by hard driving or reckless driving, or allowing another person to intentionally destroy a rented vehicle in Virginia is a Class 3 misdemeanor under §18.2-149.

Virginia Vandalism Charges Involving Caves

• Vandalizing a cave in Virginia is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Va. Code §10.1-1004.
• It is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Va. Code §10.1-1005 to dump garbage, dead animals, sewage or toxic substances in a cave or sinkhole without permission.  The statute is also violated by burning a material in a cave or sinkhole that produces smoke or gas harmful o organisms living in the cave.
• The unauthorized excavation of a cave is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Va. Code §10.1-1003.
• Removing, killing, harming or disturbing an organism in a cave is a Class 3 misdemeanor under Va. Code §10.1-1006.
• Removing and selling stalactites or stalagmites in Virginia or exporting them out of Virginia is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Va. Code §10.1-1007.

Other Virginia Vandalism Charges

• It is a Class 4 misdemeanor under Va. Code §18.2-143 to pull down another person’s fence and leave it down without permission.  The same statute criminalizes opening and leaving open another person’s gate, opening a gate across a public road, or a gate at railroad right of way crossing without permission.
• Tampering with a facility involved in the sale, manufacturing or storage of infectious biological substances with the intent to release those substances an cause injury is a Class 4 felony under §18.2-52.1.
• Intentionally tampering with a farm product used for testing or research purposes is a Class 1 misdemeanor under §18.2-145.1 if the value of the farm product was less than $200.  If the value was more than $200, the offense is a felony.
• Conducting a archaeological activities without a permit in Virginia is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Va. Code §10.1-2302.
• It is a criminal misdemeanor to intentionally deface, damage, destroy, displace, disturb or remove any antiquity in Virginia under Va. Code §10.1-2306.
• Tampering with firefighting equipment in Virginia is a Class 1 misdemeanor under §18.2-151.1(i).
• The unauthorized release of animals confined for research or educational purposes with the intent to obstruct a lawful purpose is a Class 1 misdemeanor under §18.2-403.4.
• Tearing up or destroying trees, shrubs, plants or flowers on another person’s land without permission is a Class 3 misdemeanor under §18.2-140.
• Hunting on another person’s property while carrying an axe, saw, or other tool used to destroy trees without permission is a Class 3 misdemeanor under §18.2-141.
• It is also a misdemeanor under Va. Code §46.2-818(2) to intentionally block the entrance or exit of a gas station, service station, or rest stop.
• Tampering with a parking meter, vending machine or pay phone (Va. Code §18.2-152) with the intent to steal is a Class 1 misdemeanor for a first offense.  A second or subsequent offense is a felony.
• Destroying or taking down No Hunting signs without permission is a Class 3 misdemeanor under Va. Code §18.2-135.
• Trespassing with the intent to cause property damage is a Class 1 misdemeanor (Va. Code §18.2-121).
• The knowing and intentional posting of No Trespass signs on someone else’s land without permission is burnished with a fine up to $500 under §18.2-119.1.