Street artist/vandal and his accomplices arrested
COSTA MESA – An investigation of over a month led to the arrest of a graffiti painter and his two accomplices on Thursday, April 4th.
In the nighttime hours of Sunday, February 24th, two men and a woman pulled into the Miner Street alley, near Joann Street, and exited a late 90’s Dodge four door car. The three were observed by a resident who has a surveillance camera trained on the alleyway, and the driver began to spray paint the walls, while the other man and woman served as apparent look outs. The alleyway they chose runs behind apartment buildings in the neighborhood.
The large white walls were too inviting to resist for the taggers, in this 2011 image from Google. Costa Mesa Golf Course is in the background
When satisfied with the results, the three got back into the car and headed south on Miner Street before police arrived sometime after 9:30 pm.
According to Costa Mesa Police, officers who specialize gang crime reviewed the footage of the vandalism. The Costa Mesa Police Department’s Gang Investgations Unit is a team of six officers and an office specialist, supervised by a sergeant. They are responsible for gang enforcement and investigation of gang related crimes, and work closely with a deputy probation officer and deputy district attorney. The unit was able to eventually make positive ID on all three of the suspects, and obtained warrants for their arrest.
On Thursday the officers served all three warrants at three locations in Costa Mesa, finding and arresting 26-year-old Lani Kilma and 20-year-old Erick Huipe. David J. Pena, also 20, turned himself in that day before noon at the Costa Mesa PD. The three were transported to the Orange County Jail, where they were booked on charges of vandalism, participation in a criminal street gang, promotion of a criminal gang, and conspiracy. Bail was set at $20,000 for all three.
Read More:
Daily Pilot: Surveillance footage leads to the arrest of three from February incident
LA Times: Security tape helps capture alleged taggers
