Judge tosses Eggheads vandalism charges from 2024 Gaza protests at UC Davis
A Yolo Superior Court judge has thrown out felony grand jury indictments against three people accused of spray-painting UC Davis’ Egghead statues and campus buildings in May 2024 to protest the Israel-Hamas war.
Judge Sonia Cortes dismissed the vandalism charges against Nathan Orr, 32; Lysandra Dasilva, 32; and Cheyenne Xiong, 22, stemming from the May 24, 2024, spree in an Oct. 14 ruling, according to officials at Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig’s office, who called the 2024 incident a “coordinated vandalism attack” across the UC Davis campus. The spray-painted messages, critical of the now-two-year-old mideast conflict and UC Davis’ leadership, resulted in $4,200 in damage.
UC Davis police referred the case to the D.A.’s Office for criminal charges and the Yolo County grand jury in July 2024 indicted the three on felony vandalism and felony conspiracy charges. Dasilva and Xiong, seen on campus video fleeing the scene, were also charged with misdemeanors of resisting, obstructing or delaying a peace officer, prosecutors said.
But Cortes last week cited the trio’s lack of a criminal record, willingness to pay restitution and their voluntary participation in community service in dismissing the charges. UC Davis officials “did not object to a resolution to the case that fell outside the criminal justice system,” the D.A.’s Office said in a statement.
Still, prosecutors objected to the court’s dismissal.
District Attorney Jeff Reisig called the decision to toss the charges “unprecedented,” while appearing to criticize UC Davis’ recommendation of a remedy that did not include criminal charges. He said the decision “creates a dangerous precedent.”
“The judge’s decision to entirely dismiss the felony indictment of the grand jury was unprecedented in my experience. Judges are not generally authorized to unilaterally divert criminals indicted by the grand jury,” Reisig said. “Moreover, the decision by the official UC Davis representative to recommend against a criminal conviction ... creates a dangerous precedent for future cases of such conduct, suggesting similar criminal behavior at UC Davis will be treated with kid gloves.”
UC Davis’ Egghead sculptures, installed more than three decades ago, are considered a beloved art fixture on campus. Students often pose for graduation photos beside the oversized bald heads or rub them for good luck before exams.
The case drew attention in May after the defendants were arrested following reports of groups tagging buildings and statues on campus.
During the incident, a UC Davis police officer “unintentionally discharged” a firearm while attempting to detain one of the individuals. No injuries were reported. The officer was placed on administrative leave, and the incident was referred to the UC Davis Police Accountability Board for review.
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