Oklahoma City Police Investigate Jessica Alba for Defacing Property

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.

If so, Alba could be facing the same charges any other citizen would. "We enforce every law equally," Knight said. "It doesn't matter what walk of life people come from."

Patric Nelson, the founder of the local Oklahoma City blog The Lost Ogle, which first broke the story, finds the whole incident a bit weird.

"I've lived here 31 years, and I've yet to see a great white in one of our beautiful lakes or rivers," he told ABCNews.com. "Seems she would be better served putting the posters where there are actual sharks people can kill."

White Mike defended the decision to place the posters in Oklahoma City on his blog Wednesday. "The reason is that illegal shark fin hunting affects the people of Oklahoma. It affects us all," he wrote. "As the apex predator of the oceans, sharks have evolved over millions of years to manage the immensely complex and fragile ecosystems of the ocean kingdom."

"There is a dire need for us as a human race to try and stop the devastation of the Great White Shark," White Mike continued. "International pressure is the only way to do it and that starts in Oklahoma, the heartland of America."

The posters have certainly gotten city residents talking, if not about the issues White Mike was hoping to stir up. Oklahoma City spokeswoman Kristy Yager told the local paper that the posters are "eyesore in the community." And Nelson thinks tagging the United Way billboard "lacked some tact." So apparently did the group's regional director.

"We find it unfortunate that Ms. Alba chose to vandalize a United Way billboard," United Way of Central Oklahoma director Bob Spinks told The Oklahoman.

Alba may be trying to make it up. According to the paper, Alba's attorney left the impression with a United Way spokeswoman that the actress will make a donation to the charity.

Meanwhile, the city is stuck with trying to get the posters down. Apparently the glue Alba used is "very sticky," Nelson said. "It's been a real pain to remove."