The teenage son of a former Republican congressman was arrested late Monday for allegedly tagging a sign at the Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida, with “BLM.”
Thomas Joseph J. Rooney told police he’d done it “because of unequal treatment in the justice system,” local station WPTV first reported, citing Rooney’s arrest report. “BLM” is short for “Black Lives Matter.”
The 18-year-old’s dad, former Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL), told the station that his son would plead guilty and that he would “pay the price for it.”
“Hopefully he learns a lesson and moves forward in a positive way,” Rooney said.
According to the probable cause affidavit for Thomas Rooney, a Trump National Golf Club security officer noticed someone spray painting the club’s sign and called police at around 10:50 p.m.
Police caught up with Rooney at a traffic stop, saw that he matched the suspect’s description, and found a can of black spray paint in his car.
A booking record for the congressman’s son shows that police in Jupiter made the arrest at 1:54 a.m and released Rooney a few hours later, at 6:39 a.m. He faces a single misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief for property damage of $200 or less.
