VAN NUYS : Man Gets Jail for Tagging Police Car
A reputed gang member from Reseda has been sentenced to seven months in County Jail for spray-painting a police car with the penal code number for murder.
Jose Antonio Guzman, 22, was convicted Dec. 23 on misdemeanor charges of vandalism and vehicle tampering for painting the black and white police unit and slashing its tires.
The Los Angeles police car was sprayed with “187,” the number of the the California Penal Code section for murder. Prosecutors said this message is used by gangs as a warning that someone has been targeted for murder.
During a short hearing Monday in Van Nuys Municipal Court, Judge Paul I. Metzler sentenced Guzman to 213 days in jail--six months for the offense and another 33 days because Guzman said he would spend time in custody rather than pay a $1,000 fine.
Metzler said that Guzman failed to show any remorse for his actions and that he lied during his trial when he testified he did not confess to the vandalism.
The sentence was the maximum allowed by law.
Authorities said Guzman and a 15-year-old juvenile, who also has been convicted, vandalized the police car when officers responded to a loud house party in Winnetka on Aug. 21.
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