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Burglary, tagging spree ends with 2 arrests


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Two South Lake Tahoe teenagers were arrested Sept. 8 in connection with a burglary and tagging buildings, signs and vehicles.

More than $3,000 work of spraypaint, markers and cash were stolen from a local store on Sept. 7. Police are neither releasing the address nor the name of the store.

Cans of paint recovered Sept. 8 from a commercial burglary. Photo/Provided

On Saturday, people started called the police department to say their property had been tagged.

The investigation led officers to Silver Dollar Avenue where they conducted a probation search of a residence. Two boys, ages 15 and 16, were hiding in a closet. During the search spray paint and markers that had been taken in the burglary were recovered, according to officers. Officers said the two juveniles admitted to being involved in the burglary and one admitted to tagging buildings, signs and vehicles.

A third juvenile has been identified as a suspect and is on the loose.

The property damage from the graffiti is estimated to be in the thousands of dollars.

Anyone with information, should call (530) 542.6100 or Secret Witness at (530) 541.6800.

 — Lake Tahoe News staff report

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Comments

Comments (21)
  1. Adam says - Posted: September 9, 2012

    They deserve 1month in jail and 500 hours cleaning up graffiti and other trash around town!

  2. Bob says - Posted: September 9, 2012

    Send a message to their friends. How about one year working after school cleaning up graffiti or whatever. They need to be taught respect.

  3. nature bats last says - Posted: September 9, 2012

    dont do the crime if you cant do the time. They need to have 100’s of hours of cleaning grafitti and garbage pickup as a punishment. As well as paying a fine for the time of the police dealing with their particular crime. Get the message across to them that there are consequences for doing these kinds of crimes. And have their parents involved too.

  4. Steve Kubby says - Posted: September 9, 2012

    The SLT police are fantastic. They focus on real crime, with real victims and solve those crimes quickly and effectively. Graffiti is a crime that hurts everyone in this town, because of the impact it has on our economy. The SLT officers I’ve met or seen in action are always polite and professional. I truly believe we have one of the best police departments in the world.

  5. Honkylonk says - Posted: September 9, 2012

    I’ve got a cane, and having been a victim of tagging and forced to spend my own time, physical effort and money to clean it up, I would be more than happy to administer the punishment…

    Singapore style.

  6. thing fish says - Posted: September 9, 2012

    Violence is an excellent solution in the 21st century.

  7. Honkylonk says - Posted: September 9, 2012

    There is a simple reason Singapore has little or no problem with vandalism/graffiti/taggers. That reason is that once captured and punished the young perps are only too willing to describe the punishment to their peers- and it acts as a very effective deterrent. Also, there is a zero recidivism rate.

    http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120605/world/woman-facing-caning-in-graffiti-case.422900

    Key line from the piece: “Graffiti and other forms of vandalism are very rare in Singapore.”

    Caning is really nothing more than a vigorous, and very public, (and therefore, embarassing) SPANKING! Great punishment for teenagers who need a reason…to reason. Make them think about the consequences of their acts prior to committing them!

  8. Biggerpicture says - Posted: September 9, 2012

    Teens, theft, tagging.

    Arrest for marijuana sales (in a town with legal med mj sales), possible bribery OR attempted bribery of a city council member over a donation to an education charity (with a $ value of somewhere around 2,000?)

    Two of the bigger crime stories of at least the last month, if not the summer.

    How lucky are we to live in such a beautiful, safe, well protected, healthy place?!

  9. Dogula says - Posted: September 9, 2012

    “Violence is an excellent solution in the 21st century.”
    That’s kinda funny, Fish. Whatever “solution” is being used in the 21st century apparently isn’t working, so maybe we need to go back to some tried and true methods.

  10. thing fish says - Posted: September 9, 2012

    So, something like sharia law?
    I am sure that the violent punishment of adolescents won’t lead to violent adults.
    I don’t know if our Christian nation will go for that, as it goes against everything JC taught.

  11. Dogula says - Posted: September 9, 2012

    Okay, Fish.
    You’re always so desperate to be right about everything. You go to such extremes. This is not Iran. We will not institute Sharia law, unless the liberal courts continue to try to placate the radical muslims in this country who advocate for it.
    A little serious punishment for these punks would do them and probably other potential punks some good. I know I’m doggoned tired of seeing graffitti all over town. It’s ugly, it’s rude, and it’s nasty. If you’ve got a better idea of how to stop it, and how to respond to the little criminals who get caught doing it, speak up.
    Criminal activity only escalates when you don’t make SOME attempt to STOP IT.

  12. Honkylonk says - Posted: September 9, 2012

    Here’s an idea… we’ll offer the little perps a choice (libs are always big on choice, except when it comes to schools). They could take the caning, or we could give them a small dose of their own medicine, a block letter tattoo on their forehead which reads “I’M A PUNK-xxx MORON TAGGER”. I’ll bet they’d opt for the caning rather than have their person “tagged” and spending countless hours trying to figure out how to clean it up.

  13. Dick Fox says - Posted: September 9, 2012

    Caning? That’s lunatic fringe sick. Maybe you should have “The Factor” tattooed on your forehead so we know what kind of garbage is in there that needs cleaning up.

  14. Honkylonk says - Posted: September 9, 2012

    You see, Dick, this is about teenage criminals. It’s not about me because I’m a law abiding, tax paying, business owning citizen, and… I’m self-cleaning! I just detest having to clean up other people’s messes, especially on my private property. If you had ever spent any time cleaning up tagger crap on your place of business you might have a different opinion. Then again, you would probably think they were just some frisky kids out for a little fun and not at all gang influenced or anything like that, right?

    Where did I put that “MORON” stencil?

  15. Really? says - Posted: September 9, 2012

    A lot of us are taxpaying business owners or employees. Lots of us have dealt with taggers because it’s everywhere. But how does your anger really solve the problem? Maybe you could put these people to work at one of your restaurants and you could teach them to be responsible.

  16. Honkylonk says - Posted: September 9, 2012

    Really,
    You don’t know me and you sure don’t know my staff or else you would know that I am someone who believes in redemption. I have numerous employees currently working in my business who have had run-ins with the law. I would never absolve them of their varied punishments because society is entitled to exact whatever sentence the judicial system deems appropriate. If they exhibit contrition and a sincere effort to mend their ways they are welcomed back with open arms, something for which are invariably grateful. I even have one who openly admitted to my face to stealing from me and who still works for me. The exception, of course, would be someone who committed a violent crime and could therefore be considered a potential threat to my other staff members.

    Try not to judge those with whom you are not familiar.

  17. thing fish says - Posted: September 9, 2012

    ‘ We will not institute Sharia law, unless the liberal courts continue to try to placate the radical muslims in this country who advocate for it.’

    We allow radical Christians to participate in government and there have been many cases of laws being made that are related to their theology.
    I don’t think a violent authoritarian system of justice works; of all of the first world countries we are the one that kills people in the name of justice and prevention, and it doesn’t work.
    Why then, advocate for a system that is more archaic?

    I don’t know why you attempt to label me as a person who always needs to be right when I am advocating for an expanded dialogue on how to solve problems.

    Have you ever been to Switzerland? I didn’t see any tagging problems there at all. I saw beautiful murals under bridges. Perhaps this vandalism is just an outburst from isolated people with greater problems, and is a reflection on a culture that is not dealing with those problems.
    Advocating for beating the poop out of them isn’t going to solve that.
    Why are these children robbing stores to enhance their ability for vandalism?
    That is a big question. Draconian responses won’t help.

  18. Brendan says - Posted: September 9, 2012

    Isn’t there an art class at the high school where these kids can get their urges out more productively and artistically?

  19. Tahoe Biz Tired of Buying Graffitti Goof Off! says - Posted: September 10, 2012

    Send the 2 punks over to clean up their mess! Glad to hear they were caught. Unfortunately, there are probably more out there. The constant ongoing graffitti tagging in this town is beyond annoying and costly.