Teen faces 31 charges for hateful graffiti in Portsmouth, turns himself in

PORTSMOUTH — Loren Faulkner turned himself in to city police Thursday on an arrest warrant 14 months after a spree of hateful vandalism downtown.

The warrant for Faulkner, 18, charged him with 31 counts of criminal mischief and hate motivated criminal mischief, according to the Portsmouth Police Department. The charges stem from Faulkner’s actions the morning of Feb. 21, 2023, when he went from building to building incognito and spray painted hateful symbols and messages on a slew of downtown area houses of worship, businesses, buildings and residences.

The historic Temple Israel was hit in the barrage, as was Cup of Joe Cafe and Bar, owned by Assistant Mayor Joanna Kelley, Macro Polo, Deadwicks, 3 Bridges Yoga, Cotillion Bureau and St. John’s Episcopal Church, among other locations. Faulkner was captured on surveillance vandalizing Grim North Tattoo & Piercing on High Street, where he was seen wearing a hooded red sweatshirt, khaki pants, white shoes and orange-rimmed glasses.

Police investigated, receiving tips and surveillance footage from the public that led to Faulkner being identified as the alleged perpetrator.

Portsmouth police detective Sgt. Kevin McCarthy said the criminal counts are alternative theory charges, meaning Faulkner will either be found guilty or innocent of about half of the charges he’s facing.

All 31 counts are misdemeanors, according to McCarthy. If Faulkner is found guilty of only criminal mischief charges, he would have to pay fines as the maximum punishment.

“The hate motivated (classification) has an enhancement that includes the possibility of heavier fines and the possibility of jail time,” McCarthy said.

Faulkner, a Portsmouth resident at the time of the incident, is now a resident of Cumberland, Rhode Island, according to McCarthy. For a time last year, he was residing out of the country.

The criminal investigation from Portsmouth police recently concluded, leading McCarthy to inform Faulkner’s family on Wednesday he could turn himself in on the warrant. McCarthy initially tried to contact Faulkner directly but wasn’t able to reach him.

“He turned himself in promptly when I informed his family,” McCarthy said.

Faulkner was a juvenile at the time of the incident, which led to a sharp public outcry and community organizers holding a “Love Blooms Here” event in response, to support victims. Seacoast Media Group did not name Faulkner in previous coverage initially because he was a juvenile at the time.

Faulkner was released on personal recognizance bail. His arraignment date is set for June 10.

“The Portsmouth Police Department would like to thank the community partners who assisted in this investigation to include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office Civil Rights Unit, the Rockingham County Attorney’s Office, the news organizations who helped spread the word and suspect photos, and all the citizens of Portsmouth who contributed to this investigation with their investigative tips and video surveillance,” a police news release release states.

"It was really the community coming together and giving us the tools we needed to get the investigation to this point," McCarthy added Friday.

New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella previously charged Faulkner with 22 counts of violating the New Hampshire Civil Rights Act in a civil complaint in April 2023.

The attorney general’s office last month announced Faulkner and the Rockingham County Superior Court entered a consent decree regarding the Civil Rights Act complaint, a settlement acknowledging that Faulkner was responsible for the racist and antisemitic messaging.

More: Portsmouth teen charged with racist, antisemitic acts takes deal. Here are the terms.

The consent decree called for Faukner to pay a civil penalty of $50,000, though all but $2,500 of the fine is suspended for a three-year period if he complies with all of the terms of the consent decree. He is barred from coming within 250 feet of the locations he targeted for the next three years, as well as the owners, staff, congregants, and residents of those places, according to Formella’s announcement. Faulkner cannot contact anyone associated with those locations.

Faulker was also ordered to undergo a behavior assessment, participate in behavioral and mental health counseling and comply with any recommendations given to him through treatment, enroll and participate in either an educational or vocational program or seek and maintain employment, and complete 200 hours of community service work as part of the consent decree.

“The court found that Mr. Faulkner’s actions were motivated by hostility towards people because of their race, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity,” a news release from the attorney general’s office stated. “The court also found that Mr. Faulkner, through his actions, attempted to interfere or did interfere with the lawful activities of others including their ability to worship freely and engage in free speech or free expression.”

Each violation of the Civil Rights Act allows for a maximum civil penalty of $5,000, the attorney general’s office reported last year. Violations of the Civil Rights Act also empower the court to restrain the defendant from committing future violations of the Civil Rights Act and other hate-motivated conduct for three years.

New Hampshire court records identify attorney John MacLachan as being Faulkner’s counsel for the Civil Rights Act violation proceedings. MacLachan did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Teen accused of hateful graffiti in Portsmouth faces 31 charges