All I can say is WOW and this guy should have got himself a real lawyer…I’m sure all he had was a lame Public Defender, poor guy.

An Oxnard teen will be the first in California to serve prison time for tagging.
Daniel Juarez pleaded guilty to 40 counts of graffiti vandalism and will serve 16 months in state prison as part of a plea agreement. Both the D-A and Oxnard Police believe that 19-year-old Daniel Juarez will become the first tagger ever in California to go to state prison for graffiti vandalism.

Read More: Tagger to Serve Prison Sentence

Just caught this one from the nightly news here in southern California. There’s video of his work, just follow the link.

Police call it vandalism, he calls it art. Steven Gonzalez (aka ORGY) was facing prison time for tagging public and private property, but he won’t serve a day. John Schwada explains who paid the price for this tagger’s crime.

Source: Home Loan Pays for Tagger’s Crime

Some of ORGY’s work can be found here, in this short video clip titled “Acts of Bravery.” – within the first few seconds of the clip his work is on the underside of a freeway bridge in Los Angeles.

So, I’m searching for some new stuff to post tonight when I stumbled onto this news piece from Las Vegas, NV local news KVBC, News 3 Nightside. In the video piece they basically speak about the trials and tribulations associated with cleaning up graffiti in Las Vegas, all-the-while showing a brand new throw-up of TKO on the back of a suspended freeway sign and on another suspended freeway sign the moniker SWYPE is thrown-up (fairly clean for where it’s at) in black and white.
Check out the following link to see the video and read the news article.

The cost of cleaning up graffiti

Well, not quite. At least not yet. Be expecting SABER’s artwork to appear on your cell phones soon though. I would bet on him producing wallpapers, icons, and other various artistically inspired content for the phones, but we will have to wait and see.

Here’s a news article I’m sure you’ll love.

IRVINE, Calif.–Boost Mobile® today announced an exclusive mobile art content collaboration with Los Angeles-based artist SABER, also known for painting the world’s largest street art piece, enabling Boost’s youth wireless customers an opportunity to own a piece of iconic artwork from the renowned artist on their Boost Mobile phone.

“SABER’s work is original, distinctive and groundbreaking,” said Jeff Park, director of business development, Boost Mobile. “His artwork sets the standard for the emerging street art scene and Boost Mobile is fortunate to align with such a legendary icon to collaborate and share his amazing work exclusively with our customers.”

Boost Mobile’s support of a creative lifestyle, culture and attitude is represented by this exclusive deal as an extension of the brand’s commitment to enhancing the youth wireless experience. Boost also plans to collaborate with the artist to design limited edition products that are relevant to mobile communication and pop culture.

You can read the entire article here.

The news just never stopped this week:

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Wendy Gruel wants San Fernando Valley residents to help kick-off a “graffiti crackdown.”

Greuel, police and school district officials will declare a “war on graffiti” during a community forum Wednesday night at Grant High School in Valley Glen.

It is part of a plan to eliminate gangs, starting with their symbols and tags, NBC4′s Robert Kovacik reported.

Read the entire article.

Just found this news piece:

Whittier police Detective Lenin Ceja considers himself somewhat of an expert on local gangs and graffiti.

“I know all the players … in this city,” said Ceja, the new gang-graffiti detective for Santa Fe Springs.

Officials selected Ceja as their top choice for the job recently, after the Santa Fe Springs City Council this year designated $135,000 to create the new position, said city police services Director Fernando Tarin.

Read the entire article.

So, I came across a news article from March 13, 2007 and I’m stumped. Is this for real?!? (Laughing hard right now.)

Saif Azzuz, 19, who used the tag name “El Barto” and “Bart”, will be sentenced to three years probation and will perform community service and clean graffiti under an Educational Sentencing Program, Deputy District Attorney Craig Brooks said. Seven counts of vandalism causing more than $50,000 each are to be dismissed at sentencing on April 9, Brooks said. The amount of restitution Azzuz must pay has not been determined, Brooks said.

Original news article can be found here.

Follow Up:
Well, I guess this wasn’t a joke! Posted today (April 9):
Judge Orders Graffiti Tagger ‘Bart’ To Clean Walls

Very soon in Lake Elsinore, California you won’t just be going to jail if you get caught vandalizing…you could also lose your drivers license!

After studying the city’s graffiti problem for eight months, the Public Safety Advisory Commission is on the verge of adopting an ordinance that stiffens penalties for vandals and sets firmer restrictions on retailers who sell materials typically used by vandals.
Yaddah yadda. …The proposed ordinance increases financial penalties to as much as $25,000 for vandals and provides the possibility of their driver’s licenses being suspended. It also increases to $1,000 the amount someone could be rewarded for providing information that leads to the arrest and successful prosecution of vandals.
On the retail end, the ordinance would force businesses to record the names, addresses and driver’s license numbers of anybody who buys three or more cans of spray paint. It calls for the city to revoke the licenses of those businesses that don’t comply with the law.

You read that title right! Local (to me) graffiti vandal WISHM from the crew RUH has been hunted down and incarcerated by local authorities through his YouTube account.

Yesterday was the first time that I caught wind of WISHM being caught by authorities (thanks to the ultra-famous news agency News Corp, aka Fox11) and is in custody and facing felony vandalism charges for crimes committed in San Bernardino County and Los Angeles County. It seems that his accomplice MEEK is still at large though.

Here’s the video which caused his downfall:

UPDATE:
I caught this flick on my way back from the bombest Chinese restaurant this side of China, Capitol Chinese Seafood Restaurant (Diamond Bar, CA):

P.S. Sorry about the quality, we were driving and I caught it out of the side of my sight at the last second, luckily we were stuck in traffic.
And another to prove it was the duo: