Officers from the Broxton Police Department have made another arrest in connection with the vandalism of the Barney Fife mural on Highway 441 just north of town.
On Wednesday, September 27, 2023, officers arrested Ijayous Smith, 18, of Broxton, and charged him with criminal damage to property for allegedly vandalizing the mural. Smith is the second suspect arrested in the case. Earlier in September, Kayson Smalley, 18, was arrested and also charged with criminal damage to property.
Local artist Dylan Ross painted the mural on the side of an unoccupied house on Highway 441 in 2016. Since then, the mural has become one of the most popular tourist sites in Coffee County and has been photographed and shared thousands of times across social media platforms.
Last weekend, Ross began the process of restoring the mural to its original condition. He plans to have it finished later this week.
Smith has since been released from the Coffee County Jail.