A New York man was ordered Tuesday to pay restitution to the city of Waterbury for beheading a Christopher Columbus statue that stands in front of City Hall.
Brandon Ambrose was ordered by a Superior Court judge in Waterbury to pay the city $8,800.
Ambrose was caught on security camera footage hitting and breaking the statue early in the morning of July 4, 2020.
Police say Ambrose tried to sell the nose of the statue online. He eventually turned himself in and was charged with criminal mischief and desecration of property. Those charges could be dismissed if Ambrose completes an accelerated rehabilitation program.
The decapitation happened amid racial justice protests last summer. Hartford, New Haven and New London all removed their Columbus statues last year. Last fall, Waterbury residents voted by ballot measure to keep the restored statue in its place.
