New twist on graffiti snares 29 businesses

Last month, nearly 30 Berkeley, CA businesses were hit by graffiti of a very different kind. Usually, a spray can is a graffiti artist’s tool of choice. Two teenagers, who were eventually arrested, instead etched the glass windows of 29 businesses in the course of a single night.

Surveillance video captured the pair of vandals doing their worst to display windows along a several-block stretch of Solano Avenue. Police say the teens used an etching tool to inscribe the windows with graffiti, obscenities and the name “Felipe” which police say is most likely a “tag” for one of the teens.

The teens damaged the storefronts on the day before Thanksgiving, which caught may storeowners by surprise. The etched glass cannot be repaired. It must be replaced at a significant cost. Some of the damage may not be covered by insurance. Some policies specifically exclude damage to glass. In that case, the glass will need to be replaced out-of-pocket.

A witness to the graffiti spree called 911 at 2:16 AM, and police arrived in time to apprehend one of the vandals after a short chase. The other vandal was arrested a couple of hours later. The juveniles were released to the custody of their parents, but they now face felony vandalism charges as a result.

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Photo Credit: Susan Sermoneta, via Flickr.com