More on Deerfield Beach Signgate

Screw it. Let's slap a "gate" on this puppy.

One of those arrested this morning in connection with destroying campaign signs in Deerfield Beach, 20-year-old Anthony Scott Russo, told police he "kind of sort of used to date [Noland's] daughter when in school." Earlier today, Noland told the Juice that the suspects were friends of her son Thomas but that he was not involved in the alleged crime.

The officer asked the other suspect at the scene, 20-year-old James Robert Rosa, whether anyone directed the group to vandalize for their favorite candidate. He said no. When asked about the two friends who fled the scene, Rosa told police that one was named "Jake" but he didn't know his last name, nor did he know the name of the other suspect who fled. (Jake Dighton and Thomas Noland were later cited for alleged roles in the incident.)

Rosa claimed that they had all met just that night. The green Kia van linked to the crime belongs to Rosa's parents, he told police.

"It's sad that something like this happens," said Don Cleveland, whose mayoral campaign sign was among those allegedly stolen by the group. Cleveland says that signs that he's placed in the yards of campaign backers who live near the Deerfield Beach Fire Department's station have a tendency to vanish. "They disappear faster than I can put them up."

A Cleveland supporter, David Cohen, told the Juice that he's had his campaign signs swiped twice.

Cleveland thinks that laws against sabotaging rival campaigns need to be stricter. He'll spend part of his day waving Cleveland for Mayor signs at the Deerfield Beach Publix. "Those they'll have to wrestle away from me," he says.