TABERNACLE - In the end, the racial slurs spray painted on the monument honoring Emilio Carranza only served to unite a state and a neighboring country.

So said many of the nearly 200 who attended yesterday's annual memorial ceremony for the fallen Mexican aviator.

The ceremony was marked by vows to carry on Carranza's message of goodwill between the United States and Mexico, pledges to refurbish the monument and a surprise announcement that a Mount Laurel man has been arrested for allegedly vandalizing the memorial.

Albert Boyson, 18, was charged with criminal mischief Wednesday in connection with the incident, according to Lt. Steven Scowcroft of the New Jersey State Police's Red Lion barracks in Southampton.

"The detectives have been working on a couple of other incidents in the area and were able to piece this together," said Scowcroft, noting the case will be forwarded to the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.

Scowcroft drew loud applause after announcing the arrest yesterday. He declined to give further details, other than to say additional arrests may be forthcoming.

Vandals spray painted a swastika, "white power," "skinz," "die wetbacks" and other words on all four sides of the 12-foot-high monument in late May.

At the direction of Gov. James E. McGreevey, the state Department of Environmental Protection hired several experts to erase the graffiti. They used chemicals and spread a coating of marble dust to remove and cover the slurs.

Even as sunlight beamed down the limestone obelisk yesterday, none of the spray paint was visible.

"It was close," said William Heller, senior vice commander of American Legion Post 11 in Mount Holly and chairman of the Carranza Memorial ceremony. "I'm elated."

Mel Carranza, a retired Continental Airlines pilot and Emil-io Carranza's second cousin, said the graffiti was somewhat of a blessing because it placed a renewed emphasis on Carranza's legacy and the need to renovate the aging monument.

"No hate crime is going to deter us from celebrating," he said. "His ideals will live forever."

Emilio Carranza, known as "Mexico's Lindbergh," was killed in 1928 when his plane crashed into what is now the Wharton State Forest, two hours into a nonstop, goodwill flight attempt from New York to Mexico City.

He had already completed the flight from Mexico City to Washington, D.C.

The Carranza monument marks the spot where the pilot's body was found in the Pinelands.

American Legion Post 11, whose members helped recover Carranza's body hours after the July 12, 1928, crash have held a memorial service at the site each year since he died.

Prior to yesterday's ceremony, many people gave suggestions and offered help to remove the graffiti.

Arturo Sarvkhan, a representative from the Mexican Consulate in New York City, said the consulate will lead a fund-raising drive to preserve the monument.

"We must not let xenophobia, racism and vandalism stand between the ties of our two great nations," he said.