A Seattle man has been arrested and faces up to ten years in prison for “burning out” over a Pride mural in nearby Bellevue.
Ivan Barzul, 21, was taken into custody last Tuesday at his home in Renton after allegedly speeding over the mural in three consecutive acts of vandalism over the summer, endangering pedestrians and other drivers in at least one of the incidents.
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Barzul was charged with three counts of malicious mischief, or first-degree vandalism, and three counts of reckless driving. He was booked into King County Jail.
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The suspect returned to the scene of his crimes twice after the first incident on July 14, driving a silver BMW sedan without license plates. Cameras caught him just after 10:00 p.m. that night conducting a “720-degree burnout in a counterclockwise motion over the Pride art piece,” police said in a statement.
Barzul drove to the scene again on September 7 around 4:30 for another 720-degree burnout at the three-way intersection next to a park.
‘For this incident, the suspect had his windows rolled down and completed the burnout in the middle of traffic and while pedestrians were crossing the crosswalk,’ police said.
In video of the vandalism, two pedestrians can be seen just feet from Barzul’s car as he spins the vehicle dangerously close to them. He nearly loses control of the car as he exits the intersection. Barzul can be seen clearly through the open driver-side window in a still frame provided by police.
Another act of vandalism occurred on September 15 when Barzul returned for his third burnout at about 8:00 p.m.
The City of Bellevue’s Transportation Department estimated the total amount of damage to the mural in the three incidents at $15,000.
Police say witnesses called into the Crime Stoppers tip line to identify Barzul as the suspect.
“Officers often preach, ‘See something, say something.’ It’s without a doubt Bellevue residents helped law enforcement hold this individual accountable,” Bellevue Police Department Chief Wendell Shirley said.
“This arrest is a testament to the teamwork a community and law enforcement can achieve together,” she added.
It’s unclear if Barzul was motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ bias in commission of the vandalism on the Pride mural, a local landmark in Bellevue. He hasn’t been charged with a hate crime, authorities say.
“He does have a criminal history of reckless driving,” said Major Ellen Inman with the Bellevue Police Department, who shared Barzul has received traffic violations in other jurisdictions in the past.
“The Bellevue Police Department wants to extend their thanks to the community for partnering with us to help us identify this subject and bring him into custody,” she added.
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