Briley Bodemar arrested for allegedly defacing the water tower in Campbell
CAMPBELL, Calif. - In the early hours of Sunday morning, some Campbell police officers were staking out the "iconic" city water tower watching to catch an alleged vandal defacing it.
Sunday around 2:25 a.m., officers responded to the water tower regarding reports a "subject" was on it, and when officers arrived, they found 24-year-old Briley Bodemar allegedly damaging it, officials said.
Officers instructed the San Jose man to descend from the tower, but he allegedly refused to comply. Police then decided to reposition their cars and maintained a "discreet presence" nearby to avoid escalating the situation.
Over two hours later around 4:40 a.m., Bodemar climbed down from the tower voluntarily, officials said. A brief foot chase ensued before he was apprehended.
Bodemar was arrested and charged for felony vandalism, possession of graffiti tools, and resisting arrest. He was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail. He has since been released out of custody.
"We take great pride in our city and its landmarks," said Gary Berg, Campbell's police chief. "Thanks to an observant community member who reported seeing the individual on the water tower, we were able to safely apprehend the suspect and hold him accountable for his actions."
Officials said the water tower has been restored with the help of Public Works.
This is not the first time the water tower was vandalized. It was previously vandalized on Dec. 26, 2024 and on Thursday last week.
What we don't know:
It's unclear why Bodemar allegedly vandalized the water tower. It's also unclear what he was depicting and why he descended from the tower hours later.
Police didn't say if Bodemar is suspected in the previous acts of vandalism on the tower.
The Source: Campbell Police Department