‘Chaka’ Strikes Again, Police Say : Vandalism: Daniel Ramos is questioned about graffiti he allegedly left on the way to see his probation officer, a day after being freed from a five-month term.

Twenty-four hours after being released from jail on probation, the convicted graffiti vandal who calls himself “Chaka” chalked up another one, authorities charged Thursday.

Daniel Bernardo Ramos, 18, was apprehended at the Central Arraignment Court in downtown Los Angeles after he allegedly scrawled his infamous moniker on a courthouse elevator door on his way to visit a probation officer, investigators said.

Ramos and two friends, Edward Smith, 20, and Raul Gamboa Jr., 24, were tracked down to the building’s probation office, detained and questioned for more than three hours after courthouse security officers found the name freshly printed in yellow waterproof marking ink on the inside of the door.

Ramos and his companions denied any wrongdoing.

The city attorney’s office will decide today whether to charge any of them with vandalism or destruction of public property, said Deputy County Marshal Joe Diaz, who is assigned to the courthouse.

On Wednesday, Ramos was placed on three years probation and ordered to undergo two years of psychological counseling, spend 1,560 hours cleaning up graffiti and pay restitution for the more than 10,000 “Chakas” he spray-painted during his unprecedented vandalism rampage.

He had served five months in jail since being arrested by police for writing “Chaka” on a traffic light in Lincoln Heights, having pleaded guilty to 10 counts of vandalism.

He denied responsibility for the 14-inch-long “Chaka” scrawled on the courthouse elevator door Thursday, however.

“I didn’t do nothing,” Ramos said as he brushed past reporters called to the courthouse by onlookers who recognized the famed graffiti artist.

“We were just in the elevator. We didn’t do anything,” Smith said.

Gamboa added: “We were detained for nothing. It’s a waste of money. They had every division of the Police Department here but the SWAT team.”

Gamboa said a yellow “Mean Streak” marking pen that authorities confiscated was only in his pocket because it was attached to his key chain.

But Los Angeles Police Officer Daniel Wong, one of the investigators called in to examine and photograph the elevator graffiti, pronounced the “Chaka” tag as authentic.

Diaz said a security officer who entered the elevator after Ramos and his friends stepped out discovered the scrawl, which was still wet enough to smear when the officer rubbed it.

Jon Takasugi, a public defender who was in the courthouse at the time, said Ramos and the others were not officially arrested.

Ramos’ probation officer could not be reached for comment.

Ramos’ notoriety as “Chaka” prompted numerous copycats to paint the name on freeway bridges and walls around Los Angeles. But at least one art gallery owner has expressed interest in Ramos’ “art.”

“If you want to see graffiti art, there’s a show coming up,” yelled Gamboa as the trio hurried from the courthouse Thursday night.