Oklahoma City Police Investigate Jessica Alba for Defacing Property
Oklahoma City police investigate Alba for plastering shark posters around town.
June 10, 2009— -- ActressJessica Alba is apologizing to the people of Oklahoma City for defacing parts of the city by reportedly plastering posters of great white sharks on electrical boxes, a bridge and a United Way billboard.
The posters, showing a photo of a great white, have been placed around the country by a protest group seeking to raise awareness of the endangered sharks.
"I got involved in something I should have had no part of," Alba said in a written statement, sent to the city's local newspaper,The Oklahoman, and to ABC News.
"I realize that I should have used better judgment, and I regret not thinking things through before I made a spontaneous and ill-advised decision to let myself get involved with the people behind this campaign," the statement continued. "I sincerely apologize to the citizens of Oklahoma City and to the United Way for my involvement in this incident."
Oklahoma City police are investigating Alba after photos of the starlet gluing the posters at night and with her hands up in the air flashing the "victory" sign were initially posted, then removed from the Web site WhiteMike.com last week.
According to his blog, White Mike, whose real name is not known, travels the country "shark sniping" or putting the posters in public places to bring attention to "dwindling state of the Great White Shark population."
On June 5, he posted a message on his Twitter feed: "Just came back from OK! Had a blast tagging with a new friend. Check out the pics with Jessica Alba's help here."
Alba, who's been involved in a number of "green" causes, has been in the Oklahoma City area filming a new movie, "The Killer Inside Me," with Kate Hudson and Casey Affleck in nearby Guthrie, Okla. Now she finds herself in hot water.
Oklahoma City Sgt. Gary Knight told ABCNews.com that Alba has not been arrested, nor have any charges been filed. Police are still conducting their investigation after a parks department employee filed a police report Monday. Knight said no more than a dozen posters were placed on electrical boxes, a traffic control box, a bridge and a United Way billboard.
The city has a number of laws, covering everything from vandalism to tagging, that prohibit the defacing of property. Knight said the owners of the property will be contacted to see if they wish to press charges.