TEACHERS HELP DEPUTIES IDENTIFY GRAFFITI SUSPECTS.Byline: Kevin F. Sherry Daily News Staff Writer Local school teachers helped Ventura County Sheriff's deputies identify 13 teen-agers who were arrested on suspicion of causing more than $20,000 in graffiti graffiti Form of visual communication, usually illegal, involving the unauthorized marking of public space by an individual or group. Technically the term applies to designs scratched through a layer of paint or plaster, but its meaning has been extended to other markings. vandalism The intentional and malicious destruction of or damage to the property of another. The intentional destruction of property is popularly referred to as vandalism. It includes behavior such as breaking windows, slashing tires, spray painting a wall with graffiti, and during the past five months. Special Enforcement Detail deputies arrested three 18-year-old Newbury Park residents - Samuel Teeters, Carlos Palacios and Sean Reynoso - and 10 boys, ages 13 to 17, in connection with a string of graffiti incidents at more than 20 locations. As with many graffiti cases, deputies presented photocopies of tagged items and asked teachers to keep an eye out for students doodling similar symbols in their notebooks, said Deputy John Wright. ``It's pretty common for kids to be practicing on school books,'' he said. ``That's a major source of information. That helps us a lot.'' Affected properties included Boarchard Park, Pepper Tree pepper tree: see sumac. Playfield, Cypress Park, Sequoia sequoia (sĭkwoi`ə), name for the redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and for the big tree, or giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), both huge, coniferous evergreen trees of the bald cypress family, and for extinct related species. Intermediate School, Conejo Valley The Conejo Valley is a region spanning both Southeastern Ventura County and Northwest Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States. It was discovered in 1542 by Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, and eventually became part of the Rancho El Conejo land grant by High School, Newbury Park High School and Maple Elementary School elementary school: see school. . Graffiti vandals used spray paint and heavy-duty colored markers to draw the names of their tagging ``crew,'' said Deputy John Wright. The tagging crew had not evolved into a street gang, Wright said. Last week's arrests marked the third major tagging crew roundup this year. Deputies arrested two other groups of suspected graffiti vandals in January and March. The arrests have helped reduce the amount of graffiti in Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. , said Frank Lepold, a landscape maintenance crew leader and head of the city's three-person graffiti removal program. Every day people call the city's graffiti hotline at (805) 449-2488 to report graffiti. Tags on public property typically get removed within 24 hours, Lepold said. ``The council wants graffiti removed as quickly as possible,'' he said. ``It doesn't multiply.'' Private-property owners can remove the graffiti themselves or sign a waiver and have the city do it for them, Lepold said. The park and school districts handle their own graffiti removal, he said. Before removal of the graffiti, city workers take snapshots, which deputies use against suspects when they are linked to their individual designs. |
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