Fresno’s ‘most prolific’ graffiti taggers arrested, mayor says | YourCentralValley.com

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Fresno city officials announced Wednesday that most of the city’s most prolific taggers have been arrested.

The city says the achievement is related to the integration of the Fresno Police Department’s Graffiti Abatement Team, which went into action on February 20. In 2024, the team responded to over 34,000 graffiti service requests, resulting in the removal of 97,000 pieces of graffiti.

“This comprehensive and coordinated approach aims to identify, arrest and prosecute the most common graffiti vandals in our city and hold them accountable by not only arresting them, but also ensuring that they “Be sentenced to prison and pay restitution to the victims of this crime,” said Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer.

Below are images provided by the Fresno Police Department of the countless flaggers and arrests, followed by the people they identify as wanted crime suspects:

As a result of the operation, 19 suspects were identified and charges were filed, according to Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama. He added that four suspects were outstanding.

“(The task force) reviewed over 7,200 different tags and compiled those that we identified as productive taggers,” Balderrama said.

The mayor added that of the 57 search warrants issued and served by police, seven firearms and one illegal marijuana farm were seized.

Dyer says those arrested were suspects who caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to the city, both public and private property.

“There is a theme here. If you are in our city, this task force will identify you, arrest you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law,” Dyer said.

Anyone who finds graffiti in the City of Fresno can report it using the FresGO app or by calling 311.