Milpas Street Graffiti Vandals Cited
updated: Jan 23, 2013, 12:49 PM

Source: SBPD

Eduardo Zavala, age 18, and a 17-year old male juvenile, both from Santa Barbara, were cited for vandalism after they were caught tagging the Milpas Street / Highway 101 overpass.

On January 21, 2013 at 10:27 p.m., Santa Barbara Police Department Officers Nathan Beltran and Tyler Larson were concluding a call for service at the Milpas Street roundabout when Officer Beltran noticed Zavala on the center median of 100 S. Milpas Street beneath the freeway. The officers watched as Zavala looked around furtively, produced a can of spray paint from his clothing, and then started to spray paint one of the columns of the overpass. As the officers quietly advanced they noticed Zavala's companion, the juvenile, also approach the scene on the center median and start spray painting. The vandals were so engrossed in their activity that the officers were able to get within 10 feet of them before being seen. Upon noticing the officers the two vandals fled. Zavala ran westbound but stopped when commanded to do so, and was taken into custody by Officer Larson. The juvenile ran westbound and then continued north, disobeying commands to stop and discarding his can of spray paint into a planter as he fled. Officer Beltran caught up to the juvenile on the west side of the Milpas Street roundabout and took him into custody. Both subjects were found to be in possession of additional spray paint cans and paint can nozzles. Examination of the scene revealed several freshly painted tagging monikers in green and gray spray paint on the columns of the overpass. Both subjects were transported to the Santa Barbara Police Department where they declined to make statements about the incident.

Zavala was issued a misdemeanor citation for vandalism, with an arraignment date of February 25, 2013, and was released from the Police Station. His juvenile companion was issued a misdemeanor citation for vandalism, possession of vandalism tools, resisting or delaying an officer, and destruction of evidence. He was released from the Police Station to his parents.

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MUG SHOT GALLERY

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

ROGER DODGER	2013-01-23 12:53 PM
Fa Lalalala Haha,Haaaaaaaa..
COMMENT 366602P	2013-01-23 12:56 PM
His punishment, if found guilty, should be to paint over every tagged building, post, sign, fence, etc... in the SB area for a year. He likes to paint things so make him paint things.
COMMENT 366603	2013-01-23 12:56 PM
probably never picked up a pencil or pen in school and have better 'handwriting' on overpasses and walls.
COMMENT 366605	2013-01-23 01:01 PM
Their homeys will be proud ayee.
COMMENT 366608	2013-01-23 01:05 PM
Since this is only a misdemeanor I doubt it will have an impact. They will likely just do it again as odds are they will continue their journey down the wrong path.
COMMENT 366617	2013-01-23 01:14 PM
Make the parents of the 17 year old pay for the cleanup of his vandalism, or place a lien on whatever personal property the parent(s) own. The 18 year old should have whatever wages he is earning garnished until enough has been collected to pay for the cleanup of his vandalism. Any repeat offense by either one of these two should land them in jail. Punks!
COMMENT 366618	2013-01-23 01:14 PM
A real tragedy that young men this age have nothing useful to do with their lives, no motivation other than to uglyfy the world with this pointless activity.
COMMENT 366619P	2013-01-23 01:24 PM
All misdemeanor charges will do is to add to the rap sheets they get status for having. The juvenile system has to change and get some real consequences, both to restore the damages and to force them to alternatives with follow-up. Pay up and clean up, punks.
COMMENT 366624	2013-01-23 01:32 PM
They don't seem the type.
COMMENT 366631	2013-01-23 01:47 PM
Probably have already started tagging again...
COMMENT 366632	2013-01-23 01:48 PM
Make this a felony and put these jerks in prison - or give them an option of joining the military and being real men...
COMMENT 366639	2013-01-23 01:59 PM
632 - pay more taxes to build many more prisons to house them
COMMENT 366643	2013-01-23 02:07 PM
Training for life in the big house.
SACJON	2013-01-23 02:09 PM
Ok, come on people. Tagging is terrible and ugly, but a felony? That will just cost us more to jail taggers. I say make them paint over graffiti. Use the formula: square footage of tagged area x 10 = the amount of other's tagging they will have to clean up.
COMMENT 366648P	2013-01-23 02:10 PM
Tagging not good - there should also be mug shots of some of the local developers and architects who've left long lasting scars in our community.
COMMENT 366656	2013-01-23 02:36 PM
Doing it at 10:27 PM is only asking to be caught.
COMMENT 366659P	2013-01-23 02:38 PM
Super model...yeah, that's the ticket. A great start would be modeling orange jumpsuits.
COMMENT 366664	2013-01-23 02:47 PM
Felony. You steal an item worth more than 5k and its a felony - the cost to clean up their messes approaches this price so why not just make it a felony? On top of that - the can be id'd after the fact by their tags and arrested - now they have to be caught in the act. The judge can rule on the individual but at least there will be recourse. And, we can force them to join the military and make real men out of these young punks...
COMMENT 366667	2013-01-23 02:56 PM
Do prisons have a tagging issue?
COMMENT 366677	2013-01-23 03:37 PM
$ 50,000 per year per inmate. Like you want to pay taxes to pay for that! It's always lock 'em up and throw away the key until they remind you that someone has to pay for it. I'm not a tagger but I have to say I don't really see anything that beautiful about a blank gray concrete wall. If you want to stop tagging, figure out what need tagging is fulfilling and then provide a more positive outlet for it. Commenting on Edhat about it is not going to stop it.
COMMENT 366678	2013-01-23 03:37 PM
Tagging/graffitti is a form of Art. We all came from a cave where we painted our hopes, dreams, and of course our nightmares. These images should serve as a cultural reminder of our escape from the cave. I really wonder if blind people rage this hard about this topic.
ROGER DODGER	2013-01-23 04:02 PM
He's from Santa Barbara Ship him home give him a bus token Ship him home. White people are SNOT the only people that live in Santa Barbara.
COMMENT 366693	2013-01-23 04:03 PM
"His punishment, if found guilty, should be to paint over every tagged building, post, sign, fence, etc... in the SB area for a year. He likes to paint things so make him paint things." That would be a great solution. I'd be all for it.
COMMENT 366695	2013-01-23 04:06 PM
New law: Parents (mom and dad) of taggers will be required to miss work and clean up their kids graffiti during normal business hours.
COMMENT 366709	2013-01-23 04:43 PM
I think Caltrans should build barriers around everything that is flat and bigger than six square inches. Isn't that how it works? We all pay for what one or two morons do (ref: suicide barrier, gun control,etc) ?
COMMENT 366711	2013-01-23 04:49 PM
That kind of punishment is purely regressive, 695. Then you're not just hurting the parents (lost wages), you're hurting the businesses employed by the parents (lost productivity) and the economy on the whole (less tax revenue). Think your ideas through before you open your mouth.
COMMENT 366712	2013-01-23 04:50 PM
I wish anyone caught tagging would be required to repaint 10x what they tagged. And then not just part of a wall, but the entire wall they tagged x 10. First offense. Second 20x. If nothing else, some will learn a skill...wall painters.
COMMENT 366713	2013-01-23 04:51 PM
The Judge (weak as they are in SB) Should make them wear a "sandwich board" and pink pajamas and made to walk up and down State St apologizing to all...
COMMENT 366714	2013-01-23 04:52 PM
Maybe deter the taggers by making it so annoying and tiedious to get through the "punishment" (fines, classes, clean up, etc). Add more punishments (including making minors parents pay for clean up) for second offenses and so on. This is a problem everywhere and has been going on for a long long time. It might just never be "solved".
NATURE BOY	2013-01-23 04:53 PM
677: A blank grey wall isn't beautiful to you, so it's ok that it gets tagged with gang names? What color is YOUR house? If someone finds that color not-beautiful, is it OK with you if they tag it? We're talking about someone else's property that is being vandalized without their consent. I don't care if they paint a faithful reproduction of the Mona Lisa on it -- if the wall belongs to someone else, and it is done without permission, it's a crime and it's lame.
COMMENT 366727	2013-01-23 05:39 PM
February 25. That's when Zavala appears for his misdemeanor citation. Let's go to the court. Let's shame him and his worthless family and friends. It's time for us to stop whining and make our absolutely fed up selves heard. I am so tired of my beautiful town being trashed by punks.
NATURE BOY	2013-01-23 05:46 PM
Blaming the parents is odious and misses the point. Someone can be the best parent in the world, but their kid still succumbs to the lure of crime and gang life. Unless you KNOW that the parent enabled the kid, shut up and blame the person who did the crime.
COMMENT 366748	2013-01-23 06:51 PM
How about the death penalty for him? Would that make you all happy tonight?
NATURE BOY	2013-01-23 06:53 PM
677: Figure out what need tagging is fulfilling then provide a more positive outlet for it??? What unadulterated hogwash. It's a crime. And there already ARE more positive outlets for it. City College has art classes. Also, these idiot kids on their own could decide to buy a sketch book, a few pens, and decide to draw. THAT'S a more positive outlet. Don't tell us that these idiot vandals have "no other outlet". Bull crap. They have plenty of artistic outlets but they choose to be criminals because it gives them street cred with their fellow gang-banging criminals.
COMMENT 366750P	2013-01-23 06:53 PM
Amen, EddieKD. If the community went, and gave testimony that they are proud of the new Milpas overpass bridge, and the architecture, and for someone to uglify it, someone from the very neighborhood, is a terrible afront to everyone else. Public shaming and letting the perpetrator know exactly the harm they caused is required.
COMMENT 366751P	2013-01-23 06:55 PM
Here's the law about graffiti: Every person who maliciously defaces with graffiti or other inscribed material with respect to any property not his or her own is guilty of vandalism: If the amount of defacement is four hundred dollars ($400) or more, vandalism is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison up to one year or by a fine up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or both. If the amount of defacement is less than four hundred dollars ($400), vandalism is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail up to one year or by a fine up to one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both. If the amount of defacement is less than four hundred dollars ($400), and the defendant has been previously convicted, vandalism is punishable by imprisonment of up to one year, or by a fine of up to five thousand dollars ($5,000), or both. If a minor is personally unable to pay a fine levied for acts prohibited by this section, the parent of that minor shall be liable for payment of the fine.
COMMENT 366757	2013-01-23 07:28 PM
A felony?? lol you all live in fantasy land. They are letting people out of prison that did real crimes like murder, rape etc..in record numbers right now. The supreme court ruled that californina has too many prisoners so now you have to pick and choose who stays and who goes home. In your perfect fantasy world a person will get locked up for littering.. very unrealistic. Go ahead and complain here all you want. Nothing will change get used to it.
COMMENT 366766	2013-01-23 08:12 PM
Make them do a few hundred hours of community service.
COMMENT 366771	2013-01-23 08:23 PM
Some of the comments in this thread are horrific. No doubt naive of me, but I didn't think there was such racism here in own home town.
COMMENT 366780	2013-01-23 08:47 PM
Is there a judge or DA reading this thread that could let us know what the actual punishment for a 1st. 2nd. 3rd. time offender/turd is in lalaland?
COMMENT 366786P	2013-01-23 09:15 PM
The tags are still on the columns between lanes at the Milpas underpass. Not art, not even close, just crappy tags which the perps should remove with a toothbrush. Graffiti is only art when it's on a surface by permission - otherwise, it's vandalism. Don't romanticize destruction of public (or private) property.
COMMENT 366787P	2013-01-23 09:21 PM
Racism? The word used by writers so far to describe these young men has has been "punks". Please refrain from knee jerk calling people " racist" just because they despise criminal conduct.
COMMENT 366797P	2013-01-23 10:22 PM
Seriously, is that paint or a scar from being burned on his face (his right side, to the left as you look at photo).
COMMENT 366817P	2013-01-24 06:36 AM
678: You'd be singing a different tune, guaranteed, if one of these pee-pee boys tagged your car/house/garage/trees/sidewalk/driveway . . .
FLICKA	2013-01-24 07:06 AM
It amazes me how racist comments, "Send them back to Mexico,etc", come up when the poster has no idea of the person's background. A resident here in Carp was given flak by a woman who said she's lived here 20 yrs and, "You people are ruining the place, go home." She didn't have much to say when the man told her he is a 9th generation Carpinterian.
ROGER DODGER	2013-01-24 07:54 AM
I hope he told her to "Go Home"Heeheehee We live in a twisted society..
DANCING SHADOW	2013-01-24 09:09 AM
As a deterrent to future graffiti along roadways, these kids could plant vines (ficus, ivy, trumpet, etc) to cover walls with vegetation.
NATURE BOY	2013-01-25 08:26 PM
17 year olds - do NOT make the parents pay. Who says that the parents of a 17 year old are responsible?? NO. Seventeen-year-olds are old enough to be responsible for their OWN actions. Come on. Honestly.

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