Three teens suspected in Azusa vandalism

AZUSA — Police arrested three teens late Saturday on suspicion of scrawling graffiti on a car.
A resident called police about 9:10 p.m. to report seeing to teens tagging on a parked car in the 400 block of West Crescent Drive, according to Azusa police Sgt. DeWayne Eldridge.
The juveniles had fled the area when police arrived, but officers detained them nearby, Eldridge said. They were ultimately arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism.
Under a new city program that began in January, the person who reported the graffiti was issued a $100 reward shortly after the arrest, police said.
“The program offers a $100 instant cash reward for anyone who reports a graffiti/tagging incident which leads to an arrest,” Eldridge said in a written statement.
In addition to taking a “zero-tolerance” stance toward graffiti vandalism in Azusa, the city seeks restitution from convicted vandals and their parents to pay for the damage.
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Azusa man suspected of graffiti vandalism

AZUSA — Police arrested a 22-year-old Azusa man early Friday on suspicion of graffiti vandalism after he was spotted writing with a marker on a utility box, police said.
Juan Arrona was released with a citation following his arrest shortly after midnight Friday in the 400 block of West First Street, Azusa police Sgt. John Madaloni said in a written statement.
A resident called police to report seeing the vandalism taking place, and officers spotted Arrona walking away from the area, the sergeant said.
“Arrona was also in possession of a black marker which matched the fresh graffiti located on the utility box,” Madaloni said. “Arrona later admitted to his crime, but identified it as ‘wall art’ rather than graffiti.”
The damage to the utility box was estimated at $200, police added.
Azusa police encourage anyone who sees graffiti vandalism in the city to report it, officials said, and the department launched a program in January that rewards tipsters with cash rewards.
The program, started Jan. 22, offers $100 instant rewards for those who report graffiti incidents that lead to an arrest, Madaloni explained.
For the safety of the tipsters, he added, police will not discuss whether rewards were paid in any specific cases.
Even before the award, Azusa residents have proven themselves willing to cooperate with police to stop graffiti vandalism, Madaloni said.
“We’ve seen time and time again evidence of community pride, and that people see their role in combatting crime,” he said.
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Azusa man suspected of possessing graffiti implements

AZUSA — A report of a fight early Saturday led police to arrest a local man on suspicion of possessing graffiti implements, officials said.
David Aguilar, 19, was booked at the Azusa Police Department’s jail and released with a misdemeanor citation, according to Azusa police officials and county booking records.
Officers responded to a call about 1 a.m. reporting a fight, possibly involving a gun, in the 600 block of East Matchwood Street, Azusa police Sgt. John Madaloni said.
Police made contact with two men, the sergeant said. One of them — later identified as Aguilar — “was seen by an officer attempting to conceal an open container of beer and discarding a silver object nearby,” Madaloni said.
“The silver object turned out to be a stack of adhesive stickers, commonly referred to as ‘slap tag,” the sergeant said. “Slap tags are stickers with pre-written graffiti or symbols that tagger/graffiti vandals apply to property instead of directly defacing the surface of the property.”
Additional slap tags were found in Aguilar’s pockets and wallet, however no gun was discovered, police said.
Azusa police take a “zero-tolerance” approach toward graffiti and vandalism, Madaloni added, and the city also seeks restitution from convicted graffiti vandals or their parents to pay for damage caused by graffiti vandalism.
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Azusa teen suspected of graffiti vandalism

AZUSA — Police chased down and arrested a 15-year-old alleged graffiti vandal late Saturday, authorities said.
An Azusa police gang officer was patrolling about 10:40 p.m. when he noticed the teen spray-painting graffiti on the wall of a business in the 300 block of North Azusa Avenue, Azusa police Cpl. Rick Hayden said in a written statement.
“As the officer approached, the teen saw the officer and a short foot pursuit ensued with the teen hiding in a backyard,” he said. The teen, later identified as an Azusa resident, was soon arrested without further incident.
After being booked, Hayden said, the teen was released to a guardian with a written promise to appear in court.
The value of the graffiti damage was estimated at $200.
Hayden said Azusa police have a “zero tolerance” policy when it comes to graffiti, and anyone who witnesses a vandalism is encouraged to call the police.
“The City of Azusa also seeks restitution from convicted graffiti vandals and/or their parents to pay for the cost of repairing the damage,” he added.
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Azusa teens suspected in graffiti vandalism

AZUSA — Police arrested two Azusa teens Wednesday on suspicion of graffiti vandalism, officials said.
A citizen called police about 5:05 p.m. to report seeing three teenage boys writing graffiti on signs in the parking lot of a CVS Pharmacy, 101. W. Foothill Blvd., Azusa police Cpl. Andy Rodriguez said.
Officers detained the boys and ultimately arrested two of them, he said. The young suspects admitted to scrawling the graffiti.
After being booked on suspicion of vandalism, the teens were released to their parents with written promises to appear in court, police said.
The graffiti caused an estimated $200 worth of damage, Rodriguez said.
“The Azusa Police Department encourages anyone who witnesses graffiti-related crime to immediately contact the police,” Rodriguez said. “With the public’s help, the Azusa Police Department has seen a significant increase in the number of vandalism-related arrests and successful prosecutions.”

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Inside vandalized Glendora house

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A lot of people I talked to today seemed pretty angry about this tagging incident. A story will run in Thursday’s paper. In the meantime. here’s a photo I took of owner Nathan Mizrahi looking at a wall near the entrance of the house in question.
Police say these guys are using technology just like the rest of us. They probably bought the paint on the Internet and they probably post their exploits on YouTube.

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