October 13, 2016 – On Wednesday, October 12, 2016, the Truckee Police Department identified and arrested two local juvenile males, ages 15 and 16 years old, for felony vandalism. Over the last several months the Truckee Police Department has received multiple reports of graffiti on the walls of numerous businesses along the highway 89 South corridor, south of Deerfield Drive, the new mouse hole pedestrian crossing as well as inside the Truckee High School. The same suspects also spray painted graffiti on the new Trout Creek Hiking Trail and multiple businesses along the Pioneer Trail business district.
The vandalism has caused thousands of dollars in damage and has frustrated the public as well as the Police Department. The break in the case happened when one of the victims of the crime recognized one of the suspected taggers and notified the Truckee Police Department. Officers followed up with the suspect and were eventually able to piece together the case, charging the two main suspects with felony vandalism. Officers were also able to identify additional unreported locations the suspects vandalized. A third, lesser involved 15 year old suspect was charged with one count of misdemeanor vandalism tagging.
The Truckee Police Department wants to remind everyone to report suspicious behavior as this case could not have been solved as quickly without the assistance of the public. “Graffiti and tagging vandalism cases are often very difficult to solve” said Captain Rob Leftwich. “This case is a perfect example of the community and the police working together to keep Truckee free from these types of annoyance and blight crimes” Leftwich went on to say.
The Truckee Police Department also wanted to remind parents that seeing this type of tagging on school items or school backpacks is an indicator of tagging. Parents having conversations with kids and identifying this type of expression early on could help prevent a child from being held accountable for a felony offense.