HOUSTON – After the re-painting of the popular ‘Be Someone’ bridge that crosses I-45 near Crockett Street in June got documented on Instagram, search warrants obtained by KPRC 2 reveal a criminal investigation of those involved is underway.
Houston Police and Union Pacific Railroad Police obtained search warrants earlier this month for user details on two Instagram accounts that posted videos of the repainting as investigators look for evidence in the crime of graffiti.
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The bridge got repainted with ‘Be Someone’ in early June, after a Google Maps image showed it had been changed to a cryptocurrency message sometime in early April.
Those involved posted a video on Instagram that showed people walking down a set of railroad tracks carrying paint rollers, according to the search warrant, then two people are seen using the paint and roller brushes to cover the previous message on the bridge, despite a posted ‘No Trespassing’ sign.
On a video post by one of the accounts, the user replied to a comment: “its up and finished rn (right now), shoutout (account 2) n (account 3) for helping.”
Investigators wrote in the search warrant that they believe three people worked together to paint graffiti on the bridge.
After the bridge got repainted, one of the accounts targeted in the search warrant made a story post with an article published by a Houston newspaper and tagged the newspaper asking them to message him so they could talk.
The newspaper then published an article on June 9 that featured an interview with teens, in which they talked about buying the paint, making an itinerary, covering the crypto message, and putting ‘Be Someone’ back on the bridge in blue paint.
When investigators visited the bridge, they saw what videos and pictures showed: The new ‘Be Someone’ painting, along with paint trays, rollers, and a paint lid from a can of blue paint that matched the new lettering, according to the search warrant.
Police wrote in the search warrant that it would cost $1,700 in labor and $8,000 in materials to repaint that section of the bridge, which didn’t include the cost for closing I-45 below.
In obtaining the search warrant, investigators wrote that they believe evidence from Instagram will reveal messages between the three suspects that will further incriminate themselves.
So far, it doesn’t appear that anyone has been charged in the bridge graffiti. Harris County court records show that prosecutors have only filed six graffiti cases this year, five of which have been misdemeanors.
