Law enforcement officials are seeking the public’s help in identifying two individuals they suspect vandalized the Cristoforo Colombo statue at Harbor Park the day after Columbus Day. Late Thursday, Middletown police released two black-and-white photographs taken from an Oct. 15 surveillance video at about 12:15 a.m. of a duo they believe spray-painted the words “lies,” “redrum” and “rapist” in red on the base of the statue.

This year, Oct. 14 was the day set aside to honor the 15th-century explorer. The Columbus Quincentennial Committee of Middletown, whose members were either Italian immigrants or children of immigrants, established the monument of a Columbus clutching closed his floor-length cape with a scroll in hand on Columbus Day 1996. Middletown’s substantial Italian-American community takes offense each time the monument is disrespected in some fashion.