PITTSBURGH — A Christopher Columbus statue built with donations from Italian-Americans in Pittsburgh nearly 60 years ago has been defaced with red paint.

Someone vandalized the statue on Monday, the nation’s official Columbus Day observance. No one has been charged.

City operations chief Guy Costa — who is Italian — condemned the vandalism and feels it’s aimed at Italian-Americans.

Costa also chairs the city’s Columbus Day parade and says the group is working to prevent vandalism and to keep the statue from being relocated, as some would like to see happen.