Gang Link Probed in Yosemite Vandalism

Investigators believe that members of a street gang with ties to the Mexican Mafia were behind the Memorial Day weekend defacing of rocks along a trail in Yosemite National Park.

Rangers are seeking help from police detectives throughout California who might be able to match the tags to ones seen in local neighborhoods.

“At this point, we’ve just been sharing information to see what particular groups or individuals have this type of tagging,” said park spokesman Scott Gediman.

So far, investigators have determined that the words “SUR,” “XIII” and “CHON” written on rocks along the Mist Trail appear to belong to a street gang active in several areas around the state, said Carolyn Corriea, a graffiti investigator for the Bay Area Rapid Transit system.

The number 13 represents the letter M (the 13th letter of the alphabet) for Mexican Mafia and “CHON” is possibly the moniker of the person who tagged the rocks, she said. The Mexican Mafia is a gang with roots in the state prison system.

Narrowing down the graffiti perpetrator may take some time because investigators must link it to specific taggers in a specific neighborhood.

“There’s a chance that it’s one person that did it and there’s a chance that he could be found,” Corriea said. “It possible, but I wouldn’t call it easy.”

Rangers have managed to scrub away the graffiti, but a little bit of damage was done to one of the rocks during the removal process.

“You can see a little bit of discoloration on the rock that will probably be eased through the weathering process,” said Raye Santos, a park spokeswoman.

Park officials said they will prosecute anyone involved in the vandalism.

Last year, a 19-year-old Riverside man was arrested after tagging dozens of trees, rocks, tent cabins and buildings at Yosemite. The man was caught with the help of local police who recognized the tags.

Michael Trevino pleaded guilty to 10 counts of vandalism for defacing park property, said park spokesman Gediman.

Trevino was sentenced to 120 days in federal prison and placed on probation for two years. He also was ordered to reimburse the park for cleanup costs, officials said.