“King 718″ tagging suspect nabbed in Brick Township

"King 718," the legend smeared on traffic light stanchions and many other fixtures around the Drum Point Sports Complex in Brick Township, draw police to a suspect right nearby.

David Rivera, Jr., 27, of Drum Point Road, faces a charge of criminal mischief filed by township police, and might face more counts at the conclusion of a probe by the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

Police said that Lavallette Class II Special Officer Joe Bench alerted them Monday, describing a man who he said was spray-painting traffic light poles in the vicinity of Drum Point Road. Responding officers found no suspects in the area.

On Tuesday, police were called to the sports center, where they found "King718" splayed across dugouts, traffic signals, street signs and other property, all in orange marker ink, authorities said.

At about 11:30 AM, near Drum Point Road and Brick Boulevard, township Detective George Waldhelm encountered an individual matching the description given by Bench the previous day.

Detectives Kenneth Steinberg and Greg Mullarkey identified Rivera, tied him to the graffiti, took him into custody and confiscated the marker they believe was used, police said.

The probe remains open. Anyone who has seen similar damage elsewhere can call Steinberg at 732-272-1113, or the Brick Township PD main number, 732-262-1100.