Vandals strike buildings

Jessica Luton
The Union-Recorder

October 09, 2008 09:54 pm

— A black spray-painted graffiti message that adorns the outside wall of a house near Lee Street appears to be racially motivated and gang-related.
But gang graffiti is not new in town.
Earlier this week, another home on the Hopewell Church Road was reported damaged by gang-related graffiti.
Jeffrey Harrington, a realtor trying to sell the house, went out to the house to check out the damage after he got wind of the incident.
“They had painted on one whole side of the house and the backside,” he said. “The officer that came out to the house said that he seemed think it was maybe two or three rival gangs.”
The graffiti is no longer visible on the house though. As soon as the owner heard about it, he made sure that the messages were removed.
“The owner came over later that afternoon and got every bit of it off,” said Harrington.
Baldwin County Sheriff’s officer, Capt. Christopher Spires said it is fairly common for graffiti to appear in town, but it can be difficult to identify gang members or affiliation.
“There is some gang-related graffiti in town, but it is scattered. We’re doing out best to identify known gang members,” said Spires.
If the damage is under $500, it is considered criminal trespassing and can result in anywhere from one to five years in prison under Georgia law.
Additionally, if an instance of spray-painted property damage is prosecuted and the person charged with the crime can be charged with a separate street gang activity offense, there are additional consequences.
Street gang activity includes participating in any offense of criminal trespassing or criminal damage to property resulting from painting or tagging. A street gang activity charge can result in anywhere from five to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of $10,000 or $15,000 under Georgia law.
Anyone who may have a tip concerning gang-related activity or vandalism is asked to contact the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office at 445-4893 or the Milledgeville Police Department’s Tip Line at 414-4413.

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