Suspect allegedly tags San Diego courtroom during his graffiti hearing
A man accused of dozens of graffiti attacks in San Diego allegedly tagged the courtroom in which he was being prosecuted for vandalism.
Francisco Canseco, 18, was arrested yet again -- this time by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department -- for graffiti vandalism, authorities said.
In April, a sheriff’s deputy noticed fresh graffiti containing a moniker that had been used during vandalism attacks at several other locations in the city, including inside the San Diego courthouse.
The deputy used a graffiti tracking system and discovered that the San Diego Police Department had arrested Canseco and was investigating over 60 cases of graffiti involving the same moniker, according to the sheriff’s department.
It is believed that Canseco tagged the courtroom in April during a hearing on previous graffiti charges filed against him, said Mark Milton, a detective with the sheriff’s department.
In a followup investigation, Milton obtained a search warrant for Canseco’s residence and found additional evidence pointing to his involvement in the courthouse vandalism case.
Canseco was arrested on five new felony counts of graffiti vandalism. His previous counts were misdemeanors, Milton said.
For breaking news in Los Angeles and the Southland, follow @Caitlin__Owens, or email her at caitlin.owens@latimes.com.
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