NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas – New Braunfels police have issued a warrant for a woman accused of vandalizing the Comal County Democratic Party Headquarters with a shovel earlier this week.
A security camera video shows a woman walking up to the door of the building located at 1592 West San Antonio Street. She hit the glass twice with a shovel and walked away, causing about $1,000 in damage.
It happened at about 3:42 a.m. on Tuesday, party officials said, noting that the timestamp on the camera is about six hours off.
Thursday afternoon, police said that a warrant had been issued for Valerie Jean Riedel, 38.
The New Braunfels woman was arrested for public intoxication on Jan. 12 after police say she threw rocks and other items at passing vehicles near the area of Green Valley Road and FM 1044.
Investigators said they were able to identify her as the woman in the video at Comal County Democratic Headquarters.
Riedel is facing a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief, which is punishable by a fine of up to $4,000 and/or up to a year in jail, NBPD said. She’s currently wanted by the department.
Comal County Democratic Party Chair Marilyn Aden issued the following statement after the incident:
“We live in an increasingly polarized society right now, and many of us do not see eye to eye about politics specifically. But the New Braunfels community has always been able to get along and treat each other with respect and dignity, and it is important that we continue to do that. Regardless of how much we may disagree, it should not be necessary to resort to acts like this to make a point. We don’t know exactly what the motivation was of the person who committed this act of vandalism to our building—I would like to hope that it was a random act that was not directed towards us specifically. But if it was indeed directed towards the Comal County Democratic Party, then the people responsible need to consider the message they are sending about how to live in a civil society.”