ABOVE: William Yacko. Photo via St. Pete Police Department/Facebook.
ST. PETERSBURG | The St. Petersburg Police Department has identified William Yacko as the suspect who vandalized Cocktail with a homophobic slur in the early hours of March 11.
Yacko, 57 of St. Pete Beach, had previously been booked into the Pinellas County Jail on unrelated charges. Hate speech enhancements were added to a prior conviction of Felony Criminal Mischief, the department shared.
SPPD detailed the “hate graffiti arrest” March 14.
“On March 11th just before 4 pm employees of Cocktail, located at 2355 Central Avenue, observed a homophobic slur written on their business window,” they shared via social media. “Their surveillance video shows a suspect writing the derogatory comment with a marker overnight.”
Read their announcement below in full.
Surveillance video shows Yacko approaching Cocktail’s entrance along Central Ave. just before 6:30 a.m. In graphic language and with multiple errors, he writes that “silly faggott’s dick’s are for chics.” View it and read more here.
“We take the security of our guests and employees very serious at COCKtail,” owner David Fischer told Watermark ahead of SPPD’s announcement. “Unfortunately, given the current political climate and proposed legislation people are feeling bolder than ever to voice their hate.
“We will not take lightly any threat or homophobia someone exhibits that makes our guests feel less than safe in our establishments and will press charges to the fullest extent of the law when they are caught,” he added.
