Three Tucsonans are facing misdemeanor theft charges after they were caught on video removing signs that were in support of the Broadway widening project, documents show.
Tucson police issued citations to Laura Tabili, Melody Peters and Jay Vosk on Monday, after 40 signs were reported stolen from properties in the 1600 block of East Broadway the day before, according to a police report obtained through a public records request.
David Wienert, owner of Stone Cactus Gallery, told police he distributed the signs supporting the Broadway expansion project at about 10 a.m. Sunday, but when he returned several hours later, they were all gone.
Security footage from the front of his business showed two women and a man taking the signs and getting into a small two-door silver vehicle, the police report said.
Wienert told police about a rally by opponents of the project taking place a short distance away, and officers were able to locate a matching vehicle, which was registered to the 61-year-old Tabili, the report said.
When police arrived at Tabili’s house, she told the she’d been expecting them. After she was read her rights, she admitted to officers that she stole the signs, according to the report.
Tabili told police when she heard about the signs being put up, she panicked, and called Peters, 66, and Vosk, 68, to help her take them down.
Peters and Vosk admitted to removing the signs, the report said. “I was just helping my friend,” Vosk told police.
All three, who are active in a neighborhood group opposing the road project, were given citations to appear in court.
Vosk declined to comment when reached by the Star. Tabili and Peters couldn’t be reached.
The project, if approved by the City Council, will change four-lane Broadway between Euclid Avenue and Country Club Road to six lanes.
