Two Moscow businesses spray-painted

MOSCOW — Two Moscow Christian publishing businesses — Roman Roads Press on East Third Street and Canon Press on North Main Street — were vandalized with spray paint.

Police have no suspects.

Daniel Foucachon, CEO of Roman Roads Press, said his business’s camera recorded two people — one wore a motorcycle helmet and the other a hood — involved in the crime, starting at 1:41 a.m. Monday.

Foucachon said the man wearing the hood spray-painted an upside down cross with the numbers “1312,” which likely refer to the alphabetical order of the acronym ACAB — All Cops Are Bastards — on the brick wall entryway.

Brian Kohl, COO at Canon Press, said male genitalia and words referring to them were spray-painted on the exterior of Canon Press by the front door. Kohl said the crime happened Sunday night or Monday morning.

The possible anti-police message spray-painted at Roman Roads Press comes amid protesting and rioting in cities across the country in response to the death of George Floyd, who was killed last week while in custody by a white Minneapolis Police Department officer.

“Fortunately, we’re up and running as a business again unlike some other people throughout the country, so we’re fortunate for that,” said Foucachon, noting the vandalism was “still unsettling.”

Kohl said he did not know what the spray-painted message meant at Canon Press.

“It’s a bit of an obscure message,” Kohl said. “I feel like there’s much clearer messages that could be made, but I’m afraid I don’t know.”

Officials at both businesses attend Christ Church in Moscow, and Kohl and Foucachon said the vandalism could be a result of those connections to the church.

Foucachon said both businesses are independent of Christ Church but that Canon Press used to be a ministry of the church.

Foucachon said he will not press charges if the people who vandalized his business come forward and are willing to clean the paint off the wall.

Cabeza can be reached at (208) 883-4631, or by email to gcabeza@dnews.com.