UPDATE: Santa Clarita Gang Suspect Accused Of Tagging Church

Posted by: Perry Smith in Crime November 25, 2013 - 1:17 pm 0 362 Views

UPDATES WITH CITY RESPONSE
A Santa Clarita man is in custody after allegedly spray painting gang affiliations on the outside walls of a Canyon Country church Friday, according to Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station officials.

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Isidro Tranquilino, 23, of Canyon Country, was arrested at 11:55 p.m. Friday after Sheriff’s Station deputies responded to a call of a suspected tagging incident on the 27500 block of Whites Canyon in Canyon Country.

Tranquilino allegedly was vandalizing the church, when he was spotted.

A resident driving by reportedly saw suspicious behavior in front of the church around 11:08 p.m., according to Sheriff’s Station records.

A deputy responded and then reportedly found Tranquilino, two spray paint cans matching the green and black spray paint on the walls and paint on Tranquilino’s sweatshirt, according to Sheriff’s Station records.

The city’s graffiti task force had most of the graffiti removed after it learned of the incident and responded shortly after 8:30 a.m. Monday morning, said Cynthia Llerenas, supervisor for the city’s Graffiti Task Force.

“There were five tags on the property on the church at Whites Canyon Road and Delight,” said Justin Cummings, graffiti removal coordinator for the city of Santa Clarita, “four of which were removed by graffiti task force members, and one we’re working with property management to find the proper color.”

Most of the graffiti was on the walls surrounding the church, but there was difficulty in matching the color of the tag on the actual church building, Cummings said, but officials were working with the church on that issue.

Tranquilino is suspected to be a member of a local gang, according to Sheriff’s Station officials.

The damage warranted a felony charge, because it’s expected to cost more than $400 to repair. Several of the North Oaks Church of Christ’s walls were tagged.

The cans were booked into evidence, and Tranquilino was arrested following a subsequent investigation.

The charge was listed as vandalism of a place of worship.

He is due in court Tuesday, according to Sheriff’s Department arrest records.

He’s being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.

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