Gang-affiliated teens arrested for tagging
Two known gang members were arrested by Burbank police last Monday for allegedly being connected with a small spike in graffiti in one part of the city, authorities said.
A 16-year-old boy and 17-year-old girl were arrested after police began to see a rise in graffiti along Empire and Thornton avenues starting on Feb. 20. Burbank Police Sgt. Derek Green said graffiti was found on both commercial and residential buildings.
“This was in an area of town that has historically been affected by gang-related graffiti,” Green said. “It has the potential to bring on retaliation, violence and other gang-related crime.”
Join the conversation on Facebook >>
He said, however, that the department has not yet seen any other incidents tied to the local graffiti.
Green said both teens are documented gang members, and the two were arrested on suspicion of vandalism.
Despite this slight increase, he said the overall number of graffiti-related incidents in the city is down about 38% compared to this time last year.
---------------------------------------
FOR THE RECORD
3/7, 2:46 p.m.: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the city of Burbank had experienced an increase in graffiti. The rise in graffiti has been observed along Empire and Thornton avenues.
---------------------------------------
One factor that can draw more graffiti to an area is construction sites, and there are many of them in the Empire-Thornton area, Green said.
“Anytime you have those areas, areas that are not very illuminated, that are not inhabitable right now, you’re going to see more graffiti,” he said.
Residents who notice any incidents of tagging are encouraged to contact the city’s graffiti removal hotline at (818) 238-3806 or graffitiremoval@burbankca.gov.
--
Andy Nguyen, andy.nguyen@latimes.com
Twitter: @Andy_Truc
