Arrest made in case of racist graffiti at NH coffee shop

New Hampshire police have arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with the vandalism of a downtown Manchester coffee shop that was targeted with white supremacist graffiti last week.

Tyler Inman, of Allenstown, New Hampshire, was arrested Wednesday night and charged with criminal mischief and falsifying evidence, Manchester police announced.

The arrest comes just over a week after police were called to The Moka Pot at 8 Hanover St. on the morning of Sept. 16, where several windows had been smashed and swastikas and the words “White Power” had been spray-painted on the business.

Police said the graffiti appeared “intended to intimidate.”

The shop’s co-owner, Nick Carnes, told Boston.com that he woke up around 6 a.m. that morning to photos of the damage via text. Three windows had been broken, but whoever was responsible didn’t enter the building, he said. 

Police said the vandalism likely occurred between midnight and 4 a.m.

Despite the damage, the coffee shop opened about an hour later than usual after the owners cleaned up the broken glass.

“There was no way that we were going to let this guy take a day away from us or get us down,” Carnes said.

The vandalism sparked an outpouring of support from community members and local businesses. Carnes said people offered to donate money to the shop, but the owners instead encouraged them to give to Manchester-area nonprofits and charities.

Police said investigators established probable cause for a warrant for Inman’s arrest. Authorities did not provide additional details about the evidence that led them to identify him as a suspect.

Manchester Police Chief Peter Marr credited the detective and crime analyst assigned to the case with pursuing leads and carefully examining evidence.

“The hateful graffiti at the Moka Pot was deeply disturbing,” Marr said in a statement. “Hate has no place in Manchester, and we will continue to do everything we can to seek accountability through the justice system.”

Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais also thanked investigators and said the vandalism did not reflect the character of the city.

“In the days since, our community has come together to denounce this hatred and stand with The Moka Pot and all those impacted,” Ruais said. “Acts like these will never be tolerated in our city.”

Police said the case will be prosecuted in coordination with the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office because of the nature of the alleged conduct.