LADWP employee among 4 suspects accused of causing $200,000 in graffiti damage

LOS ANGELES (KABC)– Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman sent a direct message to anyone planning to vandalize city property.

“You will be arrested, prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law,” Hochman said.

The LAPD announced Thursday that a four-person graffiti team was arrested and charged with multiple counts of criminal vandalism.

“Investigators linked the suspects to acts of vandalism at 12 locations across 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 approximately $200,000 in damage.

They are identified as:

• Javier Roca, 38 years old
• Michael Gonzalez, 40 years old
• Francisco Aguilar, 37 years old
• Richard Ward II, 45 years old

“The investigation revealed that the suspects used specialized climbing equipment and repellent equipment to gain access to high-value targets, drones to record their criminal activities and social media platforms to glorify and promote their brazen vandalism,” McDonnell said.

Hochman said Roca worked for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power as an assistant electrician.

“He was the type of person who understood how to use these different ropes and so forth to bring buildings down to allow this team to engage in this type of marking,” Hochman said.

The LAPD has personal knowledge that the suspects were involved in vandalism at Oceanwide Plaza, known as “Graffiti Towers,” but the charges filed Thursday 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 problem.

“I would say the community is relieved because this is one of our biggest complaints, and people think of it as art, but the reality is the consequences, it sends the message that the city doesn’t care and they’re neglecting themselves,” Besten said. “We certainly don’t want to send that message.”