18-year-old charged in connection with gang-related graffiti

12Jul09

BULLHEAD CITY – The Bullhead City Police Department and GIITEM (Gang & Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission) arrested an 18-year-old male for his suspected involvement in spray painting gang graffiti throughout Bullhead City.M was arrested on suspicion of felony criminal damage, fleeing from law enforcement and assisting a criminal street gang. M is allegedly an Arizona Village street gang member, according to Bullhead City police department spokeswoman Emily Montague.

At approximately 3:45 a.m. Monday, Bullhead City police were called to a report of graffiti in progress on Surf and Sand Drive. No suspects were located but there was an extensive amount of gang related graffiti in black and blue spray paint on a wall. The gang type writings suggested it was committed by members of the Arizona Village street gang.

On Thursday, GIITEM, with the assistance of Bullhead City police, served a search warrant at M’s residence on Gem Street. Molina reportedly fled out the backyard but was apprehended after a short foot pursuit. A search of the residence revealed numerous gang indicia that positively matched the graffiti throughout Bullhead City, Montague said.

At 4:20 a.m. Monday, an officer was called to the soccer field concession building at Rotary Park for another report of graffiti. A red car was parked at this location and fled from the police officer into the Palo Verde Meadows neighborhood. The same gang-related graffiti was located at the soccer fields.

The officer was able to get a license plate number on the suspect’s vehicle, which showed  L to be the registered vehicle owner.

The officer contacted L at her residence in the 3600 block of Gem Street. L said her son was driving the vehicle and said she would have her son turn himself in to police the following day. L was contacted several times by law enforcement over the week. She had been informed by three officers that her son was wanted by police.

L, 41, was arrested on suspicion of hindering prosecution.

After the initial graffiti report on Monday, Bullhead City police took a total of 18 graffiti reports of the same type of gang writings. It costs the city approximately $350 per incident to remove graffiti, bringing the total cost of graffiti abatement to $6,300.

The case is still under investigation.

http://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2009/07/12/news/local/local4.txt

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Tags: Arizona Village street gang, BULLHEAD CITY, graffiti