Graffiti reports drastically reduced after teen's arrest

The arrest last week of a 15-year-old graffiti artist has resulted in a decrease of vandalism reports, said Sheriff Ken Furlong.

According to Furlong, the department received an average of two graffiti reports a day.

"Since this kid's arrest we have had one incident of graffiti in town," Furlong said Wednesday.

On Nov. 26, members of the Carson City Sheriff's Street Enforcement Team were watching graffiti on Nye Lane at East College Parkway in anticipation that a rival gang would come and tag over it.

While conducting the surveillance, officers noticed a vehicle drive onto Cameron Court then five minutes later leave the street.

While one deputy followed the car, a second officer checked Cameron Court and found graffiti with wet paint on a fence that had been untouched earlier.

Deputies stopped the car and allegedly discovered the 15-year-old male passenger with paint-stained gloves and four cans of spray paint, the report stated.

The boy, who was on probation in Douglas County for graffiti, allegedly admitted to vandalizing several south Carson City businesses over the course of four months, the report states.

"(He) completed a written statement and even drew a sample of his graffiti on his statement," Deputy Sam Hatley wrote in the report. "(He) told me he enjoyed doing graffiti because he liked how it looked and does not care about people's property."

Furlong said Wednesday that 31 reports of graffiti and thousands of dollars in damage have been so far connected to the 15-year-old, including bubble letters visible from South Carson Street on cooling towers atop Raley's and graffiti on Mervyns, J.C. Penney, Burlington Coat Factory and Mattress Land.

The boy admitted to marking walls and windows from North Carson Street at Nye Lane to Clearview Drive in South Carson City, according to the report.

The case has been forwarded to the district attorney's office. No charges have yet been filed.

"This was a major break in the vandalism that was tearing apart those businesses at the south end of town," the sheriff said.

- Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.