It was hours past closing time in San Ysidro Park, when officer
Noel Lemus spotted a gloved man at 1:30am Wednesday, a backpack
slung over his shoulders.
Gilroy – It was hours past closing time in San Ysidro Park, when officer Noel Lemus spotted a gloved man at 1:30am Wednesday, a backpack slung over his shoulders.
Lemus tried to stop him, but the man fled, tossing cans of spray paint from his bag as he ran. Graffiti has spiked this year in Gilroy, completely draining the police department’s yearly $20,000 budget for cleanup. Police later found paint scrawlings on buildings surrounding the park – a vandalism spree that cost more than $1,000 to clean.
Moments later, Lemus stopped the tagger in his tracks: 22-year-old Jason Orosco Narvaez. His backpack contained graffiti tools and “evidence that indicated he was involved with graffiti activity,” according to a department press release. Lemus arrested him on suspicion of vandalism and resisting arrest. He was booked into the county’s main jail Wednesday.
Narvaez is the second member of a notorious graffiti team to be caught by area police this year, said Sgt. Jim Gillio, the department spokesman. Raul Marrero, 27, was arrested May 27 by Morgan Hill police on an outstanding warrant.
Narvaez could face extra penalties for violating the Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act, which targets potential gang crimes.
If the District Attorney decides to pursue enhancements and Narvaez is convicted, he could face three additional years in prison, be required to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence, and register as a gang member after doing his time, Sgt. Gillio explained.
“This is definitely a major graffiti case, and a step in the right direction towards reducing graffiti in our community,” Gillio wrote in an e-mail.
Police are unsure why graffiti has proliferated this year, and have asked residents to report in-progress crimes like graffiti by calling 911 or 846-0350, the police non-emergency line. Anyone with information on this specific case may call Investigator Hugh Del Moral at 846-0517 or leave an anonymous tip at 846-0330.
