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Milwaukee mural controversy, damage; guilty plea to amended charge

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Published  December 17, 2025 4:33pm CST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX6 News Milwaukee
article

The Brief

    • Zechariah Mehler pleaded guilty to damaging a controversial Milwaukee mural with axes and hammers.
    • The owner cited Gaza war protest, while the defendants called the imagery a "hate crime."
    • Zechariah will be sentenced in January 2026; his co-defendant’s next hearing is set for March.

MILWAUKEE - Zechariah Mehler, one of two men accused of damaging a controversial mural in Milwaukee back in September 2024, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Dec. 17 to an amended charge of criminal damage to property.

Mehler is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 12, 2026.

Case details

What we know:

The mural near Holton and Locust showed a Star of David combined with a swastika. The building owner, Ihsan Atta, says it was meant to bring attention to the war in Gaza. Atta said it cost him more than $12,000.

Police say surveillance video showed Zechariah and Peter Mehler taking an axe and a sledgehammer to the mural, while Zechariah gave the camera "double middle fingers." Police say the next day, Zechariah came back to finish the job with a pry bar.

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The Mehlers called the mural a hate crime.

What's next:

Peter Mehler is due in court in March 2026 for a plea/sentencing hearing. 

The Source: Information in this post was provided by Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, the criminal complaint associated with this case, and previous FOX6 News coverage. 

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