Teen arrested in tagging

Orchard Supply Hardware. Marquez Brothers. United Gymnastics. Hanford Glass. The Kings County Library. These are just a few of the 20 or more buildings hit by a single graffiti artist on Saturday night, in a series of incidents that could cost thousands of dollars to repair, Hanford Police Department officers said.

Investigators arrived on the scene of 11th Avenue's Orchard Supply Hardware store at 8:20 a.m. Sunday after a report went out that someone had "tagged" numerous businesses in the area with gang graffiti. What they found was a trail of gang signs that extended down 11th Avenue and traveled east, hitting dozens more businesses as it went.

Other victims include Carroll's Tire Warehouse, Badasci Tire, Shoop Chiropractic, Kings County Mobile Locksmith, Family Real Estate, Hedges Pest Control and numerous others, HPD officers reported.

Investigators were able to quickly identify the suspected vandal as he apparently left his unique moniker on most of the buildings he defaced.

The Kings County Probation Department was able to identify the 16-year-old male, who was arrested at his home and found with numerous pieces of evidence that linked him to the area of the crimes.

The teen was booked into the Kings County Juvenile Center after admitting to more than 20 acts of vandalism to businesses and homes.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2425.

(Oct. 21, 2008)