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3 Charged in AIDS Vandalism : Activists Accused of Graffiti Damage to County Buildings

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Times Staff Writer

Misdemeanor charges have been filed against three members of a militant AIDS group, alleging that they sprayed graffiti on Los Angeles County buildings to protest the county’s level of commitment in the fight against the disease.

John Anthony Fall, 26, and Mark D. Rexroad, 34, both of Los Angeles, were charged by the city attorney with the May 1 vandalism of the county Hall of Administration and the health services building. Wendell G. Jones, 58, of Venice was charged with the April 25 vandalism of the Hall of Administration.

They are accused of splattering red paint and red handprints and painting slogans such as “AIDS Unit Now” on the buildings. A 20-bed ward is scheduled to open in September, but AIDS activists have accused the county of delays in completing the facility.

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A Sheriff’s Department spokesman said the three men are members of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power/Los Angeles, which staged a noisy demonstration May 16 in the Board of Supervisors’ hearing room. The three men participated in the protest, which resulted in 15 arrests. No charges were filed, however, in connection with the demonstration.

Group Denies Responsibility

Members of the AIDS coalition have denied that the group was responsible for the vandalism, which angered county supervisors and prompted Supervisor Pete Schabarum to call for using AIDS treatment funds to pay the $25,000 clean-up costs.

Three witnesses to the graffiti-spraying incidents picked out the three men from a videotape of the May 16 protest, said Alice Hand, supervising attorney of the city attorney’s Chinatown branch.

Sheriff’s Department investigators, tipped off about the protest, videotaped the supervisors’ meeting and later showed it to the witnesses, said one of the witnesses, Robert De La Cruz, a clerk in the Board of Supervisors’ executive office. All three witnesses are county employees.

De La Cruz said he was returning to the Hall of Administration about 10:30 p.m. to pick up his car when he spotted three men spray-painting the building. He later picked out one of the men from the video. The other witnesses picked out the other two men.

Repayment Sought

Hand said she will seek to have the three men repay the county for the cost of the graffiti removal. Vandalism is punishable by a maximum six-month jail sentence and $1,000 fine.

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The three men, who were notified of the charges by mail and remain free, face arraignment Aug. 10 in Los Angeles Municipal Court. None could be reached, but their attorney said she would not comment until she reviews the charges.

Sheriff’s Department spokesman Richard Dinsmoor said the department regularly arrests gang members for spraying graffiti on buildings. This case is unusual, he said, because it involves politically motivated vandalism.

Last month, undercover Sheriff’s Department deputies were seen monitoring and photographing an ACT-UP/LA news conference outside the Hall of Administration, prompting members to accuse the Sheriff’s Department of harassment.

Sheriff Sherman Block said at the time that the deputies were gathering evidence that might point to the people responsible for the vandalism.

‘We Understand the Anger’

Gunther Freehill, a member of ACT-UP/LA, said Tuesday: “ACT-UP/LA is not responsible for the graffiti. But we understand the anger behind this sort of thing. Some people see no other way of expressing outrage at the shabby treatment people with AIDS receive from the county.

“This pointless investigation tells you where the county’s priorities are. They care a lot more about a little paint than they do about people dying. They ought to be ashamed of themselves.”

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A Sheriff’s Department spokesman could not provide a cost estimate for its investigation.

The Sheriff’s Department is investigating several other AIDS-related acts of vandalism at other county facilities.

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