UWPD Arrests Four in Connection with Felony Graffiti on Campus
The arrests followed a year-long investigation into at least eight graffiti cases that caused more than $10,000 in damage.
The UW-Madison Police Department arrested four individuals in connection with a series of graffiti incidents “that caused extensive damage across the UW–Madison campus over the past year and a half.”
Madison residents Zebulun Fazel, Genevieve Karamanski, Kareem Mayouf, and William Wambles were all charged by the Dane County District Attorney’s office with felony and misdemeanor graffiti charges last week.
Messages left in paint included “UW IS COMPLICIT IN GENOCIDE,” “YOUR TUITION FUNDS GENOCIDE,” and “CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE HAS NOT WORKED.”
The arrests followed a year-long investigation into at least eight graffiti cases that caused more than $10,000 in damage. The most substantial damage occurred on Library Mall and Bascom Hall on September 12.
Other graffiti locations included Southwest Commuter Path, East Campus Mall, Witte Hall, and Camp Randall Stadium.
According to the incident report, “UWPD executed a search warrant at the residence of some of the suspects last week. Evidence related to the graffiti incidents was recovered, along with two handguns and an AR-15.”
None of the individuals charged are currently affiliated with the university. However, Mayouf has been an active participant in anti-Israel activism on campus, including the encampment in 2024 while he was a student at UW-Madison. In addition, Fazel was arrested at the encampment.
In a statement to The Madison Federalist, a UWPD spokesman declined to say whether these cases may be related to the vandalism of multiple UW Regents’ homes this summer as “those incidents were outside of our police jurisdiction.” However, he said “we are working closely with investigators from other neighboring police departments, as the suspects may be connected to several additional graffiti incidents off campus.”
Authorities encouraged anyone with additional information about the graffiti incidents to contact UWPD at 608-264-2677.
This article was updated to include comment from UWPD.