LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman sent a direct message to anyone who thinks about vandalizing city property.
“You will be arrested, you will be prosecuted and you will be punished to the full extent of the law,” Hochman said.
LAPD announced on Thursday a four-person graffiti crew has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of felony vandalism.
“Investigators have connected the suspects to acts of vandalism at 12 locations throughout our city, including 11 buildings in and around downtown Los Angeles and one location in the mid-Wilshire area,” LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said at a news conference.
The suspects are accused of causing about $200,000 in damages.
They are identified as:
Javier Roca, 38 Michael Gonzalez, 40 Francisco Aguilar, 37 Richard Ward II, 45
“The investigation revealed that the suspects used specialized climbing equipment and repelling gear to access high value targets, drones to record their criminal activity and social media platforms to glorify and promote their brazen vandalism,” McDonnell said.
Hochman said Roca worked for the L.A. Department of Water and Power as an electrical craft helper.
“He was the type of person that understood how to use these various ropes and whatnot to scale down buildings to go ahead and allow this crew to engage in this type of tagging,” Hochman said.
LAPD has firsthand knowledge the suspects have been involved in vandalism at Oceanwide Plaza, known as “Graffiti Towers,” but Thursday’s charges are not related to that.
Blair Besten, executive director of the Historic Core Business Improvement District, is glad something is being done to address the graffiti issue.
“I would say the community is relieved because this is one of our chief complaints, and people think of it as art, but the reality is the consequences, it sends a message that the city doesn’t care and it’s neglecting itself,” Besten said. “We definitely don’t want to send that message.”
Copyright © 2026 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.