SAN FRANCISCO — A 26-year-old man has been arrested and charged with damaging the downtown federal building to the tune of more than $60,000, after he was allegedly caught on camera throwing rocks at windows and a glass door.
Michael R. Ballard, 26, was charged with damage to government property, a felony, and has been on a no-bail hold in Santa Rita Jail in Dublin since his Nov. 8 arrest. He did not enter a plea at his first court appearance Wednesday, records show.
The criminal complaint alleges that on Nov. 7, Ballard was caught on camera throwing rocks at the federal building at 450 Golden Gate Avenue, causing “extensive damage.” He was allegedly seen poking through the broken glass to retrieve a rock he’d thrown and toss it into the building a second time.
Authorities found Ballard wearing clothing seen on the suspect in surveillance footage — a distinctive shirt and a hat with a marijuana leaf — when they arrested him Nov. 8. He was arrested a short distance from the federal building, on suspicion of vandalism and possessing fentanyl, the complaint alleges.
Ballard had an active arrest warrant out of Santa Monica for burglary, authorities said.
Source: www.mercurynews.com