DETROIT -- A judge agreed to have two men accused of vandalizing the Joe Louis fist removed from their electronic tethers as they waived their right to a preliminary hearing Thursday.

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Brett James Cashman (pictured, near left), 45, a parks commissioner in Superior Township, and John Timothy Price (pictured, far left), 28, of Ypsilanti, are accused of covering the city's landmark Joe Louis fist statue with white paint in the early morning of Feb. 23, Local 4 reported. The men will reportedly now prepare for a trial on charges of malicious destruction of property.

The two suspects were stopped by police in the suburb of Romulus after authorities were tipped off by a motorist at about 4:45 a.m. following the vandalism, said Romulus police Lt. Cora Semrau.

Semrau said the motorist, who saw two men covered with white paint driving out of Detroit, followed them onto westbound Interstate 94 while calling state police on his cellular telephone.

The two were stopped by Romulus police as they were entering northbound Interstate 275 and were handed over to state police for transport back to Detroit.

Firefighters reportedly used high-powered hoses to remove the gloss paint from the sculpture.

Both men entered not guilty pleas at their video arraignment at 36th District Court on Feb. 24. Magistrate Steve Lockhart said once bond was posted, the men must be electronically tethered and placed under house arrest, with the condition that they may travel to and from a specific workplace, according to reports.

The attorneys for the men asked Judge Mark Randon Thursday to take them off house arrest. The judge agreed, saying they were not believed to be a flight risk, but called their alleged actions a serious property offense, according to Local 4 reports.

Cashman's attorney, Marc Beginin, said his client "lost his job based on this. He has been confined to a tether for 21 days."

"I think the judge made a great decision today to remove the tether," Beginin added.

"My client hasn't been able to further his education ... frankly conduct the daily activities of life," Price's attorney, David Rosenburg, said. "He has been confined to his home."

The attorneys said the men's statement was taken as an act of racism in the beginning, but said they were making a political statement to stop violence. The pictures of two fallen Detroit police officers, Matthew Bowens and Jennifer Fettig, was found at the scene of the vandalism, according to Local 4 reports.

The 8,000-pound sculpture, a 24-foot-long arm with a fist suspended from a frame, represents a hometown hero and many people view it as an assertion of black political power. Louis was black.

The defense and prosecution will now make a decision on a plea agreement.

"We are open to discussions with the prosecution," Beginin said.

The men are expected to return to court later this month.