By Shayna Jacobs
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN SUPREME COURT — A young man who was literally caught "red handed" after allegedly defacing the picturesque Bethesda Terrace in Central Park pleaded guilty in Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday.
Dave Gonzalez, now 22, had red graffiti paint smeared on his hands when he and three accomplices were caught on the 72nd Street Cross Drive on Jan. 31, 2009, and charged with vandalizing the sandstone structure that sits adjacent to a landmark fountain, prosecutors said.
A park custodian who maintained the terrace estimated the damages to be in excess of $50,000 at the time, according to prosecutors.
All four defendants faced graffiti and criminal mischief charges for allegedly marking the tags "3D," "28," "Braze," "Skky" and a smiley face about 11 p.m. that night, according to the criminal complaint.
Gonzalez paid $9,200 in restitution to the New York City Parks and Recreation Department. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time already served on Monday.
The others, two of whom were 16 at the time of the incident, previously pleaded guilty and were given community service.
