SPRING HILL – A homesick New York teenager faces a slew of charges, after he vandalized several local businesses and public properties.
According to officials, 18-year-old Dakota James Wedgren used spray paint to tag his initials and other markings on utility boxes, USPS mail boxes, street signs dumpsters, vehicles, and commercial structures.
Investigators say a total of 18 criminal mischief complaints were filed over the course of about 35 days and some of the same complainants were targeted more than once.
During the course of the investigation, Powell Middle School Resource Deputy, John Fremer, began asking students if they knew anything about the graffiti. Several students provided Deputy Fremer with the name “Dakota” and with that information Detectives were able to determine that Wedgren was their suspect.
Investigators made contact with Wedgren at his home inside Spring Haven Apartments, and that’s where they also located a large piece of cardboard with the same graffiti initials used in the Criminal Mischief cases. Wedgren told investigators during an interview that he committed the offenses to “blow off steam because he had been depressed lately.” The specific graffiti sign was supposed to look like the letters ME (referring to himself) and NY (referring to New York), where he just moved from two months ago.
Wedgren is charged with 10 misdemeanor and 8 felony counts of criminal mischief. Wedgren remains behind bars at the Hernando County Jail on a $24,000 bond.
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Say goodbye to your beloved NEW YORK for awhile, young ADULT.
Unless your public defender can get you off with just a slap on the wrist…
Oh…he is ‘just a kid’.
Oh…’he’s depressed’
He needs counseling…
Oh…but he’s SO talented…look at that ‘art work’…
He’s such a unique snowflake…
Ok…. send him back to new york….
I never met a New Yorker that didn’t make a big deal ……about being from New York. And they’re making a big deal bout being from New York……whilst being in Florida.
Yes , new Yorkers think their the sh?t . Well , they really R… A pile of …… If their so bad a$$ why did they leave? ( Got ran out, scared, sissy. Ladyboy,) why was this guy hanging out with middle school kids?? Did anyone ask that?? Maybe there’s more. Charges to come?? He looks like a little biotch boy. Being from NY maybe he’s too bad to put in our jail, maybe he’ll be the PODFATHER! 🤔 Don’t get arrested While this guy is there!!!😥😲😫
Yea that roast was wack I rate it a 3/10 for effort
So the guy charged with aggregated assault with a firearm a few stories below is held on a 2k dollar bond. The kid with spray paint and possible mental health issues gets 24k dollar bond. Am I the only one who sees a serious problem here?..
No, you’re not the only one. I think he should go to jail, but that bond is screwed up !! That’s why Spring Hill is going to crap….
I agree, your so right. How does spray painting (graffetti) become a felony? That’s ridiculous. The boy is only 18 and if found guilty (which with a public defender he most likely will be unfortunately) he will have felony convictions on his record and won’t be able to get a job or go to school. All for some graffetti? Come on now, we’ve all been kids and have made some poor decisions while we were. I know I did, matter of fact I started a small fire with some matches I found in a vacant wooded lot. A neighbor man saw me, tackled me (I’m a female) and called the cops. The cops TOOK ME HOME, told my parents, and LET THEM HANDLE my punishment. (I think I was 12-13). Thinking about it now I could have been charged with ARSON. Which is most likely a felony. That cop did me a huge favor that day! My point is this “make the Charges, bond, and punishment FIT the crime. Punish him yes absolutely, but don’t ruin the rest of his life over some poor decisions he made at 18.
What the heck is ” aggregated ” assaut ????? This brat does NOT have mental health issues. STUPID IS NOT MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE. Damn yankees ruining Florida again. I say GO HOME TO NEW YORK AND TAKE YOUR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES WITH YOU !!!! GOOD RIDDANCE TO ALL !!!!!!
Just guessing…maybe it’s because of the separate instances - 18 counts of criminal mischief.
I will pay his Yankee way back for him! 1st class Greyhound Bus. P.O.S
Black power
He’s a lost young kid, who needs help. The color of one’s skin shouldn’t be an issue and by the way he’s white
Send his @ss back to York there is lots of unused tunnels there he can spray all day. Better yet take a real art class and sale your paintings do some good with your life.
The Watcher
Nice bond and record, yet the “man” who was recklessly twirling a gun and shot and killed that woman and her baby never even got arrested?
Our legal system is screwy.
Ugh go back to ny thats why this town has been turned into a dump because of trashy people taking over and the litter around is disgusting just like you see in New York take it with you and and find something more constructive to do with your time like volunteer somewhere maybe get a job
what an idiot
Am I missing something? Why, or how is an 18 year old connected with middle school aged kids? How would those asked by the resource officer know about 18 year old “Dakota”?
what.. no ones going to ask how a bunch of little kids in school knew this adult was the one that did it? or why people have such an unusual interest in regions with higher taxes, over priced housing, corrupt politics, congested traffic, increased insurance premiums, higher crime rates, inclement weather, excessive pollution, etc. I will never go back to that nonsense. I live where the rest of the world comes to vacation. What is wrong with people?
He can get off if he can get the ACLU involved to protect his 1st amendment rights.
DEPORT his azz! Back to New York where he fits in. FLORIDAIAN LIVES MATTER!
FLORIDIAN. Spellcheck!
I was also taken aback with the amount of the bond. That is so far above of previous bonds set for far worse crimes, it is unbelieveable! Not that I think that he didn’t deserve being arrrested. He was wrong, but the amount of the Bail Bond is way over the top.