SIMI VALLEY : Traffic Stop Leads to 40 Graffiti Arrests
An investigation that began with a routine traffic stop in Simi Valley has led to the arrest of 40 suspected graffiti vandals and slowed a dramatic rise of graffiti in the city, authorities said Thursday.
The arrests of three men and 37 teen-aged boys followed the arrest last month of five boys who were occupants of a car stopped for speeding, said Simi Valley Police Lt. Jon Ainsworth.
Officers found three cans of spray paint in the car, and after questioning, the youths admitted they had used the cans to spray graffiti on walls, fences and buildings, Ainsworth said.
He said only one of the 40 who was arrested is believed to have painted gang-related graffiti. All the others are non-gang “taggers,” known for painting their own nicknames or slogans in public places, he said.
The arrests have slowed a dramatic increase in graffiti incidents reported in Simi Valley, Ainsworth said. The 1,687 graffiti cases reported through September this year represent 50% more than were reported for the same period last year.
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