A statue of Christopher Columbus has been vandalized in New York City. A photo taken Monday morning showed the statue of Columbus in Central Park sprayed with red paint. The messages "murderer" and "land back" were tagged on its pedestal. Reached by Fox News Digital Monday morning, Central Park police confirmed the incident is under investigation but said no further information is available at this time. 

The statue, located on the south end of the Central Park Mall, was surrounded by metal barricades Monday. It is not clear if any suspects were identified or if any arrests were made. According to the NYC Parks website, the bronze and Rockport polished granite statue was dedicated on May 12, 1892. The New Yorkers of the New York Genealogical Society commissioned Spanish sculptor Jeronimo Sunol.