That's damage, regardless. If I go around and draw a very nice stick figure on a painting, versus throwing paint on it, are both not damaging?
Not his property, not his right.
And I never said otherwise. Which is why I opened my original post with a question about what actually happened.
Yes, both cases you mention are damaging something. A better example might be - is a person who draws on a sidewalk with sidewalk chalk damaging it?
If someone moves my trashcan on the street 2' to the right so they can park where it was, have they damaged it?
Can you cite any laws, legal analysis, or newspaper in any US jurisdiction that describes moving a trashcan a short distance as criminal mischief, or any other crime?
https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/readingpa/latest/readi...