2 Arrested, Linked to Numerous Area Taggings
California Highway Patrol officers believe two 17-year-old Sherman Oaks boys arrested early Wednesday while allegedly tagging walls on the San Diego Freeway near Sepulveda Boulevard may also be responsible for thousands of dollars of other graffiti damage in the area.
Officers spotted the boys about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday spray-painting sound walls on the freeway, according to CHP spokesman Dwight McDonald. When the boys saw the officers, they ran off, but were chased down in nearby neighborhoods, McDonald said.
McDonald said an early investigation indicated the pair may be responsible for an estimated $10,000 in graffiti damage on a number of public buildings and walls in the Sherman Oaks area over the past few weeks.
During searches of the boys’ homes after their arrests, officers found spray paint and other items used to create graffiti as well as evidence linking the pair to other vandalized locations and other taggers in the area, McDonald said.
The CHP spokesman said felony vandalism charges will be brought against the boys, who were not identified because they are minors.
The CHP, using information from the arrests, plans to serve more warrants on area taggers in the coming weeks, McDonald said.
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