On November 12, 2024, the Bellevue Police Department arrested 21-year-old Ivan Barzul in connection with a series of vandalism incidents targeting the city’s Pride art piece near Bellevue Downtown Park.
Barzul, who was taken into custody at his residence in Renton at approximately 1:58 p.m., faces charges of three counts of Malicious Mischief (1st Degree) and three counts of Reckless Driving. The charges stem from incidents that occurred earlier in the year, specifically on July 14, September 7, and September 15, 2024.
The arrests followed an extensive investigation, which was strengthened by tips from the public. The Bellevue Police Department expressed gratitude for the assistance of concerned community members who provided key information through the Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound anonymous tipline.
These tips ultimately led detectives to Barzul, linking him to the three vandalism events. Law enforcement emphasized the importance of community involvement in solving cases similar to this one.
Police are still encouraging anyone with additional information to come forward.
The series of vandalism events targeting the Pride art piece in Bellevue happened across three separate dates earlier in 2024. Each incident involved the suspect driving a silver or gray BMW sedan, performing dangerous burnouts over the artwork, and fleeing the scene without a license plate. The incidents, which occurred in broad daylight on two occasions, caused significant damage to the installation.
The first incident took place on July 14, 2024, at approximately 10:12 p.m. Traffic camera footage captured the suspect performing a 720-degree burnout in a counterclockwise direction over the intersection of NE 1st Street and 102nd Avenue NE, where the art piece is located. Estimated damages from this incident amounted to around $3,200.
A second incident occurred on September 7, 2024, at about 4:27 p.m. In this case, the suspect performed a burnout while driving through traffic with pedestrians in the crosswalk, further raising safety concerns. The damage from this incident was estimated to be approximately $5,000.
The final incident took place on September 15, 2024, at 7:57 p.m. The suspect again performed a 720-degree burnout in a counterclockwise direction across the intersection, before speeding off eastbound on NE 1st Street. This event resulted in damages estimated at $5,337.
In total, the three incidents caused damage to the Pride art piece amounting to nearly $14,000.
$14,000? For road graffiti? Thank you so much for spending so much time, effort and money to bring this person to justice.
I’m glad to hear that a suspect was identified and an arrest made. It’s not just the vandalism, but the reckless driving. I’ve had close calls while walking downtown with this vehicle (and others like them) that are being very recklessly driven at high speeds, with windows tinted to almost opaque, and of course no license plates. These types of drivers are a menace to everyone around them. Glad to see at least one is being brought to justice. Well worth the time and effort by BPD!