Suspected ‘extreme graffiti’ vandal in Sacramento is identified

The Sacramento County coroner on Tuesday identified a man who died nine stories up an office building in what appeared to be an attempt at producing what’s sometimes called “extreme graffiti.”

Craig Fugate of Vancouver, Wash., was found dead hanging outside the downtown Sacramento building Monday. Police said he appeared to be attempting to vandalize the facade of the building; a spray-paint bottle and a tool for etching glass were found on the roof of the building.

Police have been targeting daredevil taggers, who have vandalized such landmarks as freeway signs and the walls of the L.A. River. Earlier this year, a tagger was killed trying to vandalize a freeway sign in the Sacramento area.

In 2006, “Buket,” the daredevil tagger who gained Internet notoriety for his brazen, daylight tagging of a sign over the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles and vandalism of a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus, was sentenced to three years and eight months in state prison.

Cyrus Yazdani, 26, became something of an Internet sensation when he plastered his “Buket” tag 20 feet above the freeway -- vandalism that was captured on videotape and posted with a rap soundtrack on YouTube and numerous tagger-related blogs.

In the Sacramento case, Fugate allegedly used rope to tie himself in a seated position like a rappeller, authorities said. The rope was tied off with a window washing anchor, and fire officials believe that that anchor could have held his weight. But they don’t think he was a window washer.

The Sacramento Bee reported that the man had two pieces of rope looped around his body in a style used by rock climbers.

Battalion Chief Marc Bentovoja told the Bee the Fire Department had no reason to believe the man’s death was a suicide.

“It looks like accidental more than anything else,” Bentovoja said.

According to Fox 40, a door was found propped open on the roof of the building at 12th and K Streets, suggesting the man was planning on going back down the stairs.

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