Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Felony Charges Filed Against Pair Over Graffiti : Palmdale: Authorities say the suspected vandals, both 18, were involved in more than 75 tagging incidents.

Taking a tough stand in a case involving more than 75 tagging incidents in Palmdale, authorities filed felony vandalism and conspiracy charges Tuesday against two teen-agers.

A prosecutor said the charges, which can lead to a term in state prison, were warranted because of the extensive damage the suspected vandals are accused of causing. In a tactic that is becoming increasingly common, authorities added together the cost of cleaning up many graffiti markings linked to the suspects in order to qualify for a felony filing.

A Palmdale official who supervises the daily removal of graffiti in her city applauded the crackdown on Tuesday.

“Clearly, where we have somebody who has been doing incredibly large amounts of vandalism, we’re very anxious to prosecute them to the full extent of the law,” said Terry Stubbings, the city’s community relations officer.

Charged with the felony were Neal Scott and Michael Furman, both 18-year-old Palmdale residents. Scott pleaded not guilty Tuesday in an arraignment before Antelope Municipal Court Judge Joseph W. Chandler and remained in custody in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Furman, released from jail after posting $50,000 bail, was ordered to appear at a Jan. 4 arraignment.

Sheriff’s investigators said that Scott and Furman used spray-paint and other marking materials to place their tagging names, “Nut” and “Tada,” respectively, on structures throughout Palmdale.

Stubbings said she is very familiar with these monikers. “These people have been plaguing our community for some time,” she said. “I have seen those names on billboards, block walls and curbs--any type of surface.”

Graffiti has become a stubborn crime problem for Palmdale in recent years. The city employs two full-time workers to remove local graffiti, usually within 24 hours after it is reported, and a third worker is sometimes needed to help out.

During November alone, city workers removed graffiti from 102,439 square feet of surface at 508 locations. The city endured one of its worst graffiti sprees during October, when vandals marred 186,000 square feet, Stubbings said.

In 1993, Palmdale spent $90,000 in materials alone on graffiti removal.

The teen-agers were arrested without incident, authorities said. Lt. Tom Pigott said their distinctive tagging signatures helped tie them to the crimes.

“We can link them definitively to 75 (graffiti incidents) and maybe more,” Pigott said. “These individuals are believed to be part of a tagging crew. The investigation is continuing.”

Deputy Dist. Atty. Jeffrey S. Gootman filed charges Tuesday after investigators linked Scott and Furman to more than $5,000 damage, the minimum required for a felony conviction under state law.

Gootman said graffiti is usually filed as a misdemeanor, rather than a felony, because in isolated offenses the damage rarely exceeds $5,000.

But when a number of incidents can be tied to a single suspect, authorities have begun adding together the damages in order to cross the felony threshold.

In one such case in the San Fernando Valley, Jaime Anthony Rodriguez, 20, of North Hollywood, pleaded guilty Monday to felony vandalism. Investigators had accused him of tagging 200 sites over a six-month period, causing more than $12,000 damage.

“It’s a matter of proof and severity,” said Gootman. “These guys have gone beyond childish pranks.”

In the Palmdale case, Gootman also charged Scott and Furman with conspiracy, defined as an agreement between two or more people to commit an illegal act, which is then carried out. “They agreed to do it, and basically went out and did it,” the prosecutor said.