GILROY
– The man who police arrested in April for a graffiti spree that
hit at least 30 homes and businesses along Monterey Road and
Eigelberry Street and caused at least $5,000 in damage was in court
Tuesday afternoon, although no formal charges were filed against
him.
GILROY – The man who police arrested in April for a graffiti spree that hit at least 30 homes and businesses along Monterey Road and Eigelberry Street and caused at least $5,000 in damage was in court Tuesday afternoon, although no formal charges were filed against him.
Instead, prosecutors have asked the Gilroy Police Department to further investigate 19-year-old Ruben Xavier Flores’ actions the night of April 11.
A 15-year-old who was arrested along with Flores April 11 has already been convicted of vandalism and is serving time in Juvenile Hall, according to Gilroy Police Department spokesperson Capt. Debbie Moore. The 15-year-old’s name cannot be released because he is a juvenile. Moore said he was also ordered to pay an unspecified amount of restitution for the April 11 spree.
Flores, who lives in the 7800 block of Church Street, has been free on bail since shortly after his arrest, but Moore promised charges will be filed against him in the coming months.
“Charges will be refiled once more evidence is collected,” Moore said. “He’s not getting off.”
Members of the District Attorney’s office could not be reached for comment, but Moore said the refiling of charges is often used to make sure the prosecution’s charges corroborate with the police department’s evidence, thus increasing the chance of conviction.
The April 11 spray-painting spree was one of the city’s largest single-night graffiti sprees in years, according to the GPD.
