NativeE wrote on Jul 19, 2008 11:14 PM:Great job EPD! Keep it up.

CrimeHater wrote on Jul 20, 2008 8:01 AM:Congratulations to the Escondido Police Force!
Once again they have shown that they will not tolerate the criminal acts of self-centered vandals who seek to force their ugly scribbles on law-abiding citizens.
Tagging is not an artform, it is a crime.
If you are an artist, you don't force your creations on others . . .

sickofit wrote on Jul 20, 2008 8:58 AM:I understand that the NCT will not publish the names of minors, but in cases like taggers, why not publish the names of the parents?

Greg in Oceanside wrote on Jul 20, 2008 9:24 AM:Kudos to EPD for their persistence in catching this punk. Since he is a minor, I agree we need to know who the parents are.

All too often those caught for graffiti are not sufficiently punished and let off too easily with idiotic community service projects. Taxpayers should not have to pay the $63,000 for the cleanup and it's time to put the burden of paying on those responsible, including parents, even if they have to go on a payment plan.

CITIZEN AT RISK wrote on Jul 20, 2008 9:26 AM:Is the 17 year old prolific Picasso gang affiliated ? Go cops!

punishment fits the crime wrote on Jul 20, 2008 10:12 AM:I think the boy should have to clean up his own graffiti. At 17, he made the choice to tag, so he should made to clean it up.

HE should clean it up wrote on Jul 20, 2008 1:32 PM:and pay for the materials to do so, as well as pay the city for the police hours it took to apprehend him.

I agree with sickofit wrote on Jul 20, 2008 1:58 PM:The police don't catch all that many taggers, so when they do they need to set an example big time to others who may be tagging or thinking about it. Part of the reason for punishment is to set an example to others. I say print the names of the parents and prosecute this kid to the fullest extent that the law allows. Restitution in money and community service should be the least of the consequences he should face.

epdhater wrote on Jul 20, 2008 5:15 PM:congragulations to the epd?? thas funny too bad it took them over a year to catch him...and the only reason they caught him was because they caught him for his new name n now hes a 4th waiver....not because of thier great detection skills...they just got lucky

anne wrote on Jul 20, 2008 5:32 PM:people, does any one know what might be going on behind the scences...does any body know what is going on maybe with his family life...does any body care any more about our youths? just punish them, print their parents names, do we know if he has parents? did the media mention that...let's just judge...did you think that he will have to pay for all the damage?...what about man kind..with all the americans dieing of seas,. do you all care about them any more???let's just punish with out knowing what is going on....i am proud to be an american...

to epdhater wrote on Jul 20, 2008 7:08 PM:You sound like a real "classy" kind of guy. You need to get a job and become a productive member of society. I doubt you ever will but that's ok...you can stay a bottom feeder for all I care.

give him a break wrote on Jul 20, 2008 8:38 PM:Jesus, people. No wonder kids in America are so bitter. Look at the way you all react! Callin' the kid a low-life and bottom feeder. Aren't you "classy"?

What's the matter? Never made a mistake when you were a kid? Or were you all just born perfect?


... Didn't think so

to give him a break. wrote on Jul 20, 2008 11:22 PM:Your response is scary and I hope you were being sarcastic. A "mistake" is vandalizing something once, then realizing how stupid it was. Defacing the community with over 150 graffiti tags amounts to much more than a "mistake."

No-one placing a comment here claims to be perfect, but most of us realize that people are responsible for their actions in the real world. Young kids must be taught that there are consequences for their anti-social behavior, and there are many ways to teach the lessons. If the parents aren't able to do it, the state will take over.

I say give the kid ten hours per week of graffiti cleanup for ten years in lieu of a fine.

to the one dissing edp hater wrote on Jul 20, 2008 11:32 PM:"become a productive member of society. I doubt you ever will but that's ok...you can stay a bottom feeder for all I care". Are you kidding? amen to the "give him a break" person. look whats going on here...who is really the one with the problems? obviously SOCIETY

Greg in Oceanside wrote on Jul 21, 2008 2:06 AM:'Give him a break' is definitely out there. NO we didn't go out tagging, NO we didn't go out and cause $63,000 in damage, NO we didn't belong to gangs, NO we weren't perfect but we knew our limits. We had parents who'd kick the dickens out of us for screwing up, but loved us enough to care where we were at, who we hung out with, and what we were doing.

Mike From Oregon wrote on Jul 21, 2008 3:43 AM:The little punk should be caned. Then 5000 hours community service. Put him in leg irons, give him a shovel and a broom and start cleaning the gutters. This would save the city a lot of money.

Boycott McD wrote on Jul 21, 2008 6:03 AM:The parents need to be booked into the Vista jail and given a court date with their son. Regarding a payment plan, I think we the tax payers will have to eat the $63,000.0 agaon and again in a recession economy.

Boycott McD wrote on Jul 21, 2008 6:05 AM:To give him a break. Not a bad idea! A break in the fingers would stop this in a minute, unless he decides to use his toes.

No Breaks wrote on Jul 21, 2008 6:34 AM:While I understand your feelings about the kid being called a low-life, etc ... the fact is that he is a criminal ... and apparently one with a lot of experience in breaking the law. Causing $63,000 in damage to other peoples properties goes a bit beyond your typical childhood mistake.

I would, however, like to suggest that his bottom feeding behavior, while not acceptable ever, is not entirely his fault. His parents have clearly not trained him properly. If they had he would know not to mess with things that don't belong to him.

As for consequences, like it or not he will get community service and that's about it. Any order of restitution will also likely be paid for by community service as well. Juvenile judges out here don't tend to issue fines to minors because they are under the misguided belief that mom & dad will just pay the fine for them and they will suffer no consequences, but community service must be completed by the person it is assigned to. It may be true in some cases, but not all and the judges are apparently too stupid to evaluate each case on its own merits.

I know if my kid was dumb enough to do something like this the cops would be the least of his worries. I also know I wouldn't pay a dime because I don't bail out that level of stupidity. His crime ... his responsibility. That's how they learn.

This kid must be punished in an example making way. A combination of some tough love and scared straight could benefit more than just him in the long run.

John Q wrote on Jul 21, 2008 6:50 AM:Great Job, EPD!

Seems like we have a misunderstood artist in our hands. Maybe he should cross the border and practice his tagging skills in Tijuana and Tecate. That kind of art is tolerated by our southern neighbors.

I dont think... wrote on Jul 21, 2008 7:19 AM:$63,000 worth of damamge is a "mistake." That's intentional...and the punishment should fit the crime. We need our city cleaned up!

AResident wrote on Jul 21, 2008 7:22 AM:You looking at it the wron way "give him a break". This kid is 17 years old, he isn't 2 or 3. 63K in damage is alot of money. In todays world we need to come down harder. It has been far to easy on bad kids. Just a slap on the hand. All they do is laugh it off. Parents need to be held accountable also. This kid obviously has too much time on his hands. needs a job. Let's see, was he tagging during the day or at night? If he was tagging at night, chances are he was sleeping all day. So why were the parents letting him sleep all day for? There is a start for all of you feel sorry for the poor kid people.

Great news wrote on Jul 21, 2008 7:22 AM:Hope the little brat spends time in Juvenile hall and/or gets prison time. He needs a harsh punishment to set an example to all the other little taggers out their!

I'm tired of this third world crap going on in my town!
If this is part if the Mexican culture I want no part of it!

To Give Me a Break wrote on Jul 21, 2008 7:29 AM:Yeah...Poor kid...Poor, poor kid.

17 years old and already a criminal. Yes, a criminal. He has no regard for anyone or anything but himself. Even worse, he thinks highly of himself for ruining others property.

They should treat him like an adult and give him jail time. Enough jail time to pay of the $60k plus damage he has caused.

Hey Anne wrote on Jul 21, 2008 8:04 AM:It doesn't matter what his family life is like, and it doesn't matter what else may be going on in his pathetic world. He KNOWS what he is has been doing is wrong. He made a very conscious choice to commit serial criminal acts. A crime is a crime, and should be punished. In the end, it is absolutely black-and-white. This is no different than being rude because you're having a bad day - there is no excuse. Our society is in the tank because of the stupidity you have expressed in your comment.

drugless wrote on Jul 21, 2008 8:06 AM:to no breaks-at last,some common sense...thank-you.And good job EPD !!glad to see the use of today's technology is paying off....

to anne wrote on Jul 21, 2008 8:13 AM:You sound like a typical female enabler.

Hilters mother..."Oh, but Adolph was such a good boy!"

Mansons mother..."Oh, but Chucky was such a good boy!"

I could go on!

drugless wrote on Jul 21, 2008 8:26 AM:my bad-I intended to give kudos to"no breaks" instead of the other.It is good to instill self accountability by making this person clean up their own mess.If respect is wanted-respect must be given....

What SHOULD Happen... wrote on Jul 21, 2008 9:01 AM:to the kid that did this: He and his parents MUST Paint over all of his work, PLUS anything else that they find on the way. He and his parents MUST pay for the materials, estimated costs of the damage, and cop hours trying to capture him, by then, he'll be of age to go to JIAL (NOT JUVE), then spend the MAX time there. That should teach him and his tagger friends.

Mark wrote on Jul 21, 2008 9:07 AM:As it turns out many people who read this publication, particluarly in Temecula Valley, do in fact walk on water.

LOL wrote on Jul 21, 2008 9:07 AM:You can't blame the parents ALL THE TIME! Some teens just have a wild hair up their a**! Everything mom and/or dad taught them goes right the window once they leave the house! If the authorities decide to fine the parents for these kids actions, they'll never learn, especially if they have no respect for their own parents and others properties. I say, fine the kid! The don't have a job? Well, they'll have one now when they put in X amount of hours doing community service! For every dollar damaged is an hour they have to work.

arlo wrote on Jul 21, 2008 9:10 AM:They do need to come down onthis kid hard, but not out of proportion to the crime; and his family ought to be hled responsible for the $63,000 damage, and HE needs to clean up his own mess. Now THAT'S making the punishment fit the crime! Also, an investigation into what kind of family this kid comes from, and what they teach in it, needs to be started as wel, just in case he has some younger siblings.

Jails (for non-violents) should be holding cells until we can figure out how to make the punishment fit the crime". In Italy, if you kill or disable someone in a car accident, YOU have to support the survivors until they reach adulthood, or remarry, if there's a spouse involved...something like that.

Throwing them in the can only deprives the victims of their just desserts.

The Fullest Extent wrote on Jul 21, 2008 9:35 AM:Since taggers are not caught very often, he needs to be made an example of to the rest of them. It doesn't matter what his home life was like, he knew it was wrong. He was taking a chance every time he did it. There need to be consequences for our actions. This is what we have gotten away from in our society. There are almost never consequences fitting the crime. I think if we went back to something close to "an eye for an eye" our society would not see nearly the violence that it is seeing today. It doesn't matter to me if the criminal act is not perpetrated because the criminal is afraid or because they know it is wrong, the acts will happen a lot less.

To LOL wrote on Jul 21, 2008 10:01 AM:You're right ... some kids just have a wild hair. What you're missing that that 150 separately incidents is not simply the wild hair rearing its ugly head ... it's a blatant and deliberate display of disrepect at the least and repeat criminal offender at the worst.

Parents may not be able to control every aspect of their child, but instilling even the most basic sense of respect & responsibility is Child Rearing 101.

wheres the follow up wrote on Jul 21, 2008 10:38 AM:on the kids that vandalized The Wave Waterpark to the tune at 42,000? How did that get handled?

One more thing wrote on Jul 21, 2008 11:20 AM:What everybody's missed so far is that this kid was already on probation for vandalism. Hardly his first time in trouble. The parents need to be held accountable to the extent possible for failing to raise their son to abide by the law and certainly the taxpayers and property owners need to be reimbursed for all the damage he's caused. He's got to learn, "ya do the crime, ya do the time."

Where wrote on Jul 21, 2008 12:26 PM:At least the EPC could have informed the public where the graffiti was located.

address wrote on Jul 21, 2008 12:53 PM:Wouldn't it be great if NCT could publish this person's home address? I am sure some folks would love to stop by his place with a few rattle cans and give it some "street art".
Too bad we have that pesky constitution and laws to protect this person. Sigh.

Its Art wrote on Jul 21, 2008 12:54 PM:Graffiti is an art form which we should encourge. Personally I leave all my old left-over spray cans of paint at the end of my driveway for budding young artists to enjoy. Rather than hating an art form, we should be building bridges with the artists.

Gred in Oceanside wrote on Jul 21, 2008 12:59 PM:Tagging is wrong and he should be punished.

To Its Art wrote on Jul 21, 2008 1:15 PM:Grafitti it an art form ... Tagging is a vandalous act that is visited upon unsuspecting and unapproving property owners.

If he wants to be a grafitti artist then tell him to either get a canvas or permission from a property owner to create/display his art.

He simply can't be allowed to paint his illegible scribbles on anything he sees fit but doesn't own. That is a crime.

percent fewer wrote on Jul 21, 2008 1:23 PM:"According to the computer's analysis, there were 30 percent fewer graffiti incidents in the first six months of 2008 than during the same period in 2007"

Great! BUT..... that 30 percent fewer percentage--- that is from a TOTAL percentage of how many "incidents"?

How many TOTAL graffiti "incidents" are there that the police department's Hal 9000 supercomputer program used to analyze and compute that there were 30 percent less graffiti "incidents" in the first six months of 2008 compared to those in 2007??

What is the grand total from which "...30 percent fewer graffiti incidents..." is derived from?

I would like to know, Lt. Benton. I feel that is vital information which should be shared with the public.

Sure, the article mentioned 150 acts of graffiti from this one individual. But that doesn't help me in being informed in just how good of a job the police are doing if there is no grand total of "incidents" from which to base the computer's percentage calculation of 30 percent fewer.

If it is 30 percent fewer from, let's say, 500 total incidents, then congratulations! Good work! But if it is 30 percent fewer from, let's say, 75,000 total incidents, then congratulations are withdrawn.

Deanna wrote on Jul 21, 2008 1:55 PM:"We had parents who'd kick the dickens out of us for screwing up".
You see this is where the problem actually is, there is no parents around so these 'kids' seek a family, unfortuntely, the wrong family called "Gang Family". The so-called grafetti is a language that all gangs understand, its a territorial language, its similar to dogs urinating telling other dogs ..this is my territory! IF the PD is smart enough they understand these markings, if these markings change, the PD better pay attention because violence between these gangs WILL take place. I don't know if this child was just a grafetti writer or not, if so, its done for attention, if he changed his calling card (so to speak recently) its because he really wanted to be caught.
Its sad that so many parents have to work long hours these days and children are home alone, If indeed, this was the case with this child. IF he is in a gang, then the scenario changes.

WSG wrote on Jul 21, 2008 2:20 PM:THANKS Escondido PD. Everyone needs to get behind the EPD and City Council to rid the town of Graffiti and the latino gangs. This is stupid to pay thousands of dollars because some little kid is running around with a paint can. Spray your own house.

januaryM wrote on Jul 21, 2008 3:23 PM:That grafetti is NOT art. They are marking the gangs turf.We have lots of junk around Escondido that is called "Art".Its just as ugly and serves no purpose at all.
Give the grafetti offenders the bill and then send them off to Iraq or some other waring third world countries to clean & "paint" the places.Cleaning up Escondido wont make them fear anything.They just do it again.
GO EPD and thank you!

cops dont know wrote on Jul 21, 2008 3:27 PM:i could drive thru escondido on either side and i could point out tweakers walking around selling drugs and gangsters and all kinds of crime and cops dont do anything.. but they found the kid who tagged his name.. cops are worthless

Beth-San Marcos wrote on Jul 21, 2008 3:32 PM:No Respect for Other's Property. To all of you who say it's art,... I have one question for you... Would it be alright for me to put my art on your car or house?

EscoWatchDog wrote on Jul 21, 2008 3:38 PM:Punishment yes, but definitely not doing all the extreme suggestions some of you have come up with. I am glad you all are not judges! Geez.

Amazed wrote on Jul 21, 2008 3:44 PM:Ok, so they got one kid, that is great. Keep it up. This kid was arrested on Friday, but then on Friday night and Saturday morning, Escondido Blvd and Maple saw a ton of new tags... it's only getting worse here, step up the patrols, please!

Judge Judy i am not wrote on Jul 21, 2008 4:05 PM:Make the kid re-paint the companies business'. Make the parents help. This will teach them a lesson. Then when he sees someone paint over his work, he can know what it feels like. Make him paint until his debt is paid. Don't give him his license, or taxes until he's done.
But, then give them somewhere to paint what he likes. Be smart people, they are going to do it. Its probably the only thing Anyone has ever told him he's "good" at.
As far as the MEXICAN comment goes, you obviously have never been past a border town. Maybe you should, but please remember to use sunscreen as your red-neck might get worse...Or better yet, wear your white hood & do everyone a favor. Your comments are disrespectful & just as ignorant as that 17 year olds choices. I bet you did'nt like my comments towards you or your kind well that seems to be the first thing you can come up with. Your parents did'nt do any better than his.

IF wrote on Jul 21, 2008 4:27 PM:I was a judge and had the power, you wouldn't see half the crap we are seeing these days!

A job for Martha Stewart wrote on Jul 21, 2008 5:11 PM:The $63,000 question has finally been answered. If we taught art in our schools, these taggers would know the value of real art and know how to use the paint in a constructive and positive manner. What a great class to offer at the Center for the Arts with the local schools and EPD. A mandatory class for first time offenders if you want to avoid juvenile hall. Provide them canvas and paper to create. Learn about art history and save the spray paint to decorate the walls in your own home. Enough with the tagging. Tagging is a real an offensive crime and sign of blatant disrespect to other people's property.

Duncan wrote on Jul 22, 2008 4:35 PM:I know the guy who got arrested.

For everyone making latin jokes,
he is caucasian.

to duncan wrote on Jul 22, 2008 5:10 PM:so white people arent perfect????

A.M. wrote on Jul 22, 2008 5:46 PM:not all graffiti writers are "low life".
or un-productive members of society.
i have a lot of friends that do graffiti, they are attending college, or have jobs.
even one of my substitute teachers in high school does graffiti.
you can be rich, poor, stupid, or smart.
people do graffiti for personal reasons.
not because they are angry.

CrimeHater wrote on Jul 22, 2008 6:10 PM:Crime is crime, regardless of color.
Caucasians who tag others' property are just as criminal and pathetic as non-Caucasians.
If convicted, taggers should pay back every penny they have cost Society, and if that doesn't make them behave, lock them up.
Tag me once, shame on you.
Tag me twice, shame on the lazy, warped judicial system and bleeding heart liberal twits.

Carol wrote on Jul 22, 2008 7:47 PM:to: Where Did you really expect them to take the time to give you a list and the directions to each site? Besides, if you didn't spot them they were most likely not that big.

To Duncan wrote on Jul 22, 2008 8:21 PM:Who cares? You say that like it makes a difference in the grand scheme of things.

The fact remains that he's still a disrespectful little punk who thinks it's OK to do what he wants with things that don't belong to him.

Anything else you'd like to clarify/justify? Let's hope he's not the only one who learns a lesson!

tuvoc wrote on Jul 22, 2008 11:31 PM:graffiti is a form of art and i think arresting people for it is just a waste of time!!!

EPD Lover wrote on Jul 23, 2008 8:46 AM:Great Arrest!

To tuvoc wrote on Jul 23, 2008 11:03 AM:Graffiti and taggings are two different beasts. Graffiti can be art, but tagging is never anything more than a dog peeing on a tree to mark his territory. Except, of course, that the dog doesn't make quite as a big a mess and he usually does the peeing on his own turf. Taggers, on the other hand, prefer to mark on things that don't belong to them. That is called vandalism and, while it may only be a misdemeanor, it is a crime. To all PD's ... arrest away!!!!!

taggergang wrote on Jul 23, 2008 6:47 PM:tagging = gang tagging/marking teritory. It is not "harmless" graffiti or art, in any way. This is about the gangs claiming more of our neighborhoods. That is the real problem, and I hope this arrest leads to more!

What would you think wrote on Jul 23, 2008 8:58 PM:If this juvenile delinquent taggged your property? I'll bet all of you who think this was a "mistake" and "not his fault" would feel differently if he tagged your house or business.

jumping to the case wrote on Jul 23, 2008 8:58 PM:why are we so sure that the boy is even in a gang? WERE NOT.

please wrote on Jul 25, 2008 9:19 PM:we all were young and dumb.no need to be so harsh

to all un-informed wrote on Oct 10, 2008 11:46 PM:He wasn't in a gang.he had a job.He was just an average kid who like to see his name.its an addiction,sometimes it gets out of hand.stop making assumptions of it being some Mexican kid.you are racial profiling and basically stereo typing the Latino \population in Escondido.Latino's if y'all didn't know were here in Escondido before the Caucasian pop. was here.It has nothing to do with race color.it has everything to do with the kids friends or what they feel.

Hollistic Approach wrote on Oct 21, 2008 11:02 AM:I agree with Anne. I was a tutor in a poor urban middle school last quarter, and by giving them attention, encouragement, love, inspiration, and advice they converted into people with dreams of college and with desires to achieve. They would bring tag drawings to school, and of course I would strictly encourage them to NEVER EVER tag on streets. Direct their energy in a positive way. Create jobs for the young people to do. Yes, police intervention is necessary (sometimes that will knock some sense into them), but more needs to be done. By the way, taggers aren't typically in "gangs" anymore, they are in crews, or they are solo. There should be repercussions for his actions, community service, but more needs to be done. What about parenting workshops? What about fixing our school system? What about more community involvement? What about creating healthy, lawful ways of releasing your stress, energy, and creative outlet. See beyond the persons imperfections and "inadequateness", and envision a positive outcome for the individual. Maybe he could create a program to teach younger children the negative results of tagging. That could be his community service, going from class to class and talking about the consequences of tagging.