The arrests “have uncovered an organized criminal group of youth who appear to be responsible for the dramatic increase in graffiti and tagging in the area,†a city press release said.
Coachella public works employee Alex Alarcon paints over graffiti on a building on Tuesday. All graffiti is photographed before it is painted over and then it is kept on file by the city as part of its anti-graffiti efforts.
Five males arrested in sweeps between mid-October and Nov. 17 as part of a crackdown on graffiti are facing felony charges, Coachella city officials announced Tuesday.
And if they’re minors — four in this batch are — their parents could pay up to $25,000 to fix their children’s illegal artwork.
“Where are your children? What are they doing?†said Coachella Mayor Eduardo Garcia. “If you don’t know, it could be very costly to you and your family.â€
The arrests “have uncovered an organized criminal group of youth who appear to be responsible for the dramatic increase in graffiti and tagging in the area,†a city press release said.
The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office is filing felony charges against the taggers, the mayor said. In addition, the city attorney filed civil lawsuits Tuesday against the adult and the families of the juveniles — putting each of them on the hook for up to $25,000 to fix the property damage.
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