The search for answers in the vandalism of student artwork in Clement Hall and the Hopkins Center may have come to a close on Wednesday evening, when Hanover Police arrested Emily Lewis '02 in Watertown, Mass.
Lewis will face charges of criminal mischief at an arraignment scheduled for April 23, Hanover Police Chief Nick Giaccone said. Since police allege the damage caused exceeds $1,000, the crime -- a Class-B felony -- carries a penalty of one to seven years in jail and a maximum fine of $4,000.
According to an affidavit filed at the Lebanon District Court, Lewis first aroused the suspicion of authorities last Saturday, when interviews with certain art department students and faculty pointed the Hanover Police in the direction of the senior biology and art student.
A preliminary search of Lewis' room in Russell Sage Hall and campus area parking lots located neither Lewis nor her car, a Subaru Legacy Outback.
Upon calling Lewis' father on Sunday, Feb. 24, authorities determined that Lewis' bank had called to report unusual activity on her account, in the form of debit-card purchases of gas and clothing in Manchester, N.H., and Cambridge, Mass. According to the affidavit, the news concerned Michael Lewis because Marjorie Lewis, Emily's sister, had arrived in Hanover that day for a planned visit.
A search of Lewis' dormitory room on Monday revealed a floor plan of Clement Hall's first floor bearing two drops of yellow paint and a "small vegetative leaf," both of which police Detective Lt. Frank Moran confiscated.
Yellow paint was used to mark student-made paintings and sculptures in the painting, sculpture and architecture studios; the printmaking shop and the Top of the Hop.
As of last Monday, victims had also reported 58 paintings, 40 drawings, 6 collages and numerous sculptures missing, according to the affidavit.
Authorities released Lewis on $5,000 personal recognizance bail.
Giaccone also said that authorities have recovered all equipment stolen from Poison Ivy last week. While no arrests have been made, he said police have a suspect who is not a Dartmouth student.
