photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

A Lawrence Police Department patrol vehicle is pictured June 28, 2022.

Lawrence police officers have arrested a man who they suspect spray-painted at least 28 buildings downtown Sunday night.

According to police spokesperson Laura McCabe, an officer observed a male suspect spray-painting “CHESA!” on a building in the 600 block of Massachusetts Street. The man ran into the crowd in front of Logie’s bar, and the officer lost sight of him. A short time later, officers found him spraying a building in the 800 block of Massachusetts and arrested him, she said.

The man told officers that activists from a Facebook page had paid him virtually to do it and that he had never met them, McCabe said.

The investigation is ongoing. Officers worked to find all the involved buildings, but it was dark and late. On Monday officers attempted to contact each business and create separate cases for each.

The Douglas County Jail booking log indicates that Anthony Delprete, 37, of Lawrence, was arrested at around 12:45 a.m. Sunday at the former Squishington’s location at 646 Massachusetts St. The log indicates that he was arrested on suspicion of 28 counts of criminal damage to property.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Graffiti is seen on a downtown Lawrence building in the 600 block of Massachusetts Street on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Graffiti is seen on a downtown Lawrence building in the 600 block of Massachusetts Street on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Graffiti is seen on a downtown Lawrence building in the 600 block of Massachusetts Street on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.