Full Notification

(Click on the hyperlink at the bottom of this message to see photos of the cars and the convicted graffiti vandalism suspect)

A gang member was sentenced to jail after spray painting three cars that were parked in front of their owner’s homes. Upon first hearing of the crimes, Sheriff’s street gang investigators (Operation Safe Streets) and Industry Sheriff’s Station deputies were persistent until they solved the case. The suspect was caught and pled guilty within a month of the crimes.

On June 15th, 2011, residents from the City of La Puente prepared themselves for a routine day of activities only to walk out of their homes and find a despicable type of graffiti.

The difference between the graffiti they saw that morning and the graffiti they’ve seen on freeways and garbage dumpsters is that
this graffiti was spray painted on their cars.

The very same cars they use to drive to work, go grocery shopping and drive daily and that they work hard to purchase and maintain.

The graffiti suspect in this incident spray painted in large letters: “Downer” and “PX3” on the three cars.

Industry Sheriff’s Station deputies, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, responded to Loukelton Street in the city of La Puente where the victims filed police reports. The victims in this matter had to drive their cars to a repair shop. The owners can expect to pay over $1000.00 to have the graffiti removed and the original paint restored.

Because of the outrage from the victims and the community, the case was immediately assigned to Detective Chism from the Industry Station Gang unit, known as Operation Safe Streets.

Detective Chism quickly began working on the case. He employed the aid of patrol deputies in the area and used departmental records to ultimately identify the suspect.

A few weeks into the investigation, Industry Station deputies contacted a local gang member while on patrol and determined he
was a “Puente-13” gang member. The patrol deputies contacted the Valinda Town Sheriff, Deputy Jaime Moran to serve the gang member with the “Bassett Grande” and “Puente-13” criminal street gang injunction.

Deputy Moran began to complete a field interview report on Eduardo Escobar, amn 18 year old resident of La Puente.

During the inquiry, Escobar told Deputy Moran that he uses the moniker or street name of “Downer” and that he is a member of “Puente-13” “Dial BLVD.”

Deputy Moran remembered Detective Chism talking to him regarding the spray painting incident and the moniker of “Downer.”

Detective Chism followed up on the tip from Deputy Moran and prepared a search/arrest warrant for Eduardo Escobar. After the execution of the search warrant and during the search of Escobar’s residence, they located gang indicia (evidence of gang membership) with Escobar’s moniker, “Downer” and “Puente-13” “Dial BLVD.”

Escobar was arrested and interrogated at the station by Detective Chism. When asked by Detective Chism why he spray painted the
cars. Escobar simply said, “I was bored and had nothing better to do.”

Escobar was shown the pictures of the graffiti on the victim’s cars. Escobar admitted spray painting his moniker and gang name on the cars.

Detective Chism presented the case to the El Monte Superior Court Deputy District Attorney, Office of Los Angeles County District Attorney. The District Attorney filed three counts of felony vandalism.

On July 18th, 2011,Escobar plead guilty to the felony vandalism and was sentenced to three years formal probation and 365 days in jail. Det. Chism viewed this case as a high priority and because of his tenacity; the suspect was identified, arrested and swiftly convicted.

Partner to prevent or report crime by contacting your local Sheriff’s station. Or if you wish to remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the lettersTIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org

Luis Trejo, Sergeant
Industry Sheriff’s Station
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
626-330-3322
http://www.lasd.org
Twitter @LASD_News http://twitter.com/#!/LASD_News
http://www.facebook.com/LosAngelesCountySheriffsDepartment


For more information about what the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and partnering police agencies are doing to combat graffiti vandalism, visit:

LA’s Most Wanted Taggers

http://sheriff.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/lasd/graffiti/

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

http://www.lasd.org

Report graffiti vandalism and information about graffiti vandals to your local sheriff’s station or police department in order to have the damages documented, investigated, and added to the tracking databases. To remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), or using the website

http://lacrimestoppers.org

To Have Graffiti Removed:

Graffiti Reporting and Removal
Graffiti Hotline at (800) 675-4357

http://dpw.lacounty.gov/itd/dispatch/publicgraffiti/index.cfm?action=report

FOR GRAFFITI REMOVAL in the unincorporated areas of the Los Angeles County, contact the LA County Dept. of Public Works hotline at (800) 675-4357. The graffiti removal hotline is available with live operators 24 hours a day seven days a week. The LACoDPW strives for a 48-hour response when calls are received via the hotline. In order to have a response in a timely manner, please answer the brief questions the operators may ask you. Often questions may be related to graffiti on property which is not the responsibility of the County of Los Angeles. For example, information is offered for the agency providing graffiti removal services to the following: Parks and Recreation, Caltrans, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Metrolink, United States Post Office, Southern California Edison, and the 88 Cities within the County of Los Angeles.



Forwarded by:
Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau - Newsroom
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
323-267-4800
[email protected]
http://www.lasd.org
Twitter @LASD_News http://twitter.com/#!/LASD_News
http://www.facebook.com/LosAngelesCountySheriffsDepartment



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(To see photos, click on the hyperlink below)