Transient suspected of spraying urine on local stores

St Augustine Public Works personnel are in the process of cleaning a section of St George Street that police say was contaminated by an Atlanta man earlier today as he sprayed a yet undetermined liquid on the doors and windows of businesses located along the street.

The 46-year-old man, Radu Calin Chereches, whose last reported address was 5588 Chamblee Dunwoody in Atlanta, was observed by witnesses who reported the liquid smelled of urine.

Soon after 9:00 a.m. this morning, police officers Raley and Aiple caught up with Chereches near the Castillo de San Marcos. When they attempted to interview him, he indicated that he was from Romania and spoke no English.

When police could not communicate with Chereches, he was identified by a witness description and police took him into custody. With assistance from the St Augustine Fire Department, the liquid was collected and is being tested for identification.

In the interim, Chereches was transported to the St Johns County Detention Facility where he was booked on the second-degree misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct at about 10:00 a.m. today. He remains in custody in lieu of $500 bond.

On December 2, 2012, Chereches was arrested by the Ormond Beach Police Department in Volusia County and charged with petit theft from a merchant; and again on January 29, 2013, he was arrested for shoplifting by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.