The city was shocked last week to see two billboards with mannequins hanging from the and painted with the words 'plata o plomo', or 'money or bullets', and 'dying for drugs. There were a million theories as to why they showed up - links to cartels in Juarez, a possible movie about the drug wars in Juarez, and a political statement by the Occupy movement. Police have the suspect in custody whom they say is responsible for the billboards. So, what was the reason for the billboards?

EPPD Arrests Billboard Vandal
courtesy: eppd
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EPPD tracked 25-year-old Ryan Edward Jean through the FBI's database from fingerprints they took from the billboards.

Jean is from Las Vegas, and had flown into El Paso, vandalized the billboards and was about to get on a flight back to Vegas when EPPD's SWAT Unit, Airport Police and detectives went to the airport and arrested.

Jean says there is no connection to Mexican drug cartels, or movie and TV productions. Police say he told them he "vandalized the billboards in an effort to make a political statement."

Jean has been booked into jail on two counts of Graffiti, two counts of Criminal Trespass and one count of Criminal Mischief, and is being held on a total bond of $21,800.

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