Parks Bureau Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department arrested three juveniles who were "tagging" a water tower at Veterans Memorial Park (13000 Sayre Street, Sylmar, CA 91342) on Saturday, February 16, 2013, at 3:30 p.m.
The Deputies are part of the Mounted Enforcement Detail and were patrolling the park on horseback which allows them to access areas that are unreachable by vehicles.
The deputies came upon three juveniles who were spray painting (criminal graffiti vandalism "tagging") the water tower. Two of the juveniles were detained immediately but a third suspect was able to successfully elude the deputies by running across a narrow trail (approximately three feet wide) with 100 foot drops on either side of it.
While the deputies conducted their investigation, they were contacted by Los Angeles Police Department officers who patrol the community of Sylmar in the City of Los Angeles, in which Veteran's Park is located.
The LAPD officers told them that they had a young man who ran into a residence stating he was being chased by the "Cops" and needed a ride. Unfortunately for him, the gathering was attended by many of the Los Angeles Police Department's finest who were off-duty, and they detained him.
Each of the Juveniles had spray painted their Monikers (graffiti tagger name) on the water tower in large letters nearly four feet tall causing an estimated $2,500 in damage. All of the juveniles possessed back packs that contained multiple cans of spray paint and spray tips instructing them on how a graffiti "artist" varies the width and type of graphic that he is painting.
Two of the juveniles are fourteen years old and the third is 16 years of age and all are residents of the San Fernando Valley. They were taken to Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station (www.CrescentaValley.lasd.org) where they were booked. They were then issued citations and released to their parents.
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