A local sheriff’s team assembled to look into gang-related crime began looking into a series of weekend tag-like graffiti incidents in which a number of Valencia Summit homes were vandalized and property defaced.
Members of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff Station’s Career Offenders, Burglary, and Robbery Apprehension Team – or COBRA – which investigates crimes involving juveniles and gangs were assigned to investigate the destruction of property in Valencia Summit, one of Santa Clarita’s oldest residential neighborhoods.
“Over the weekend, there were vandalism incidents reported to SCV Sheriff’s Station by Valencia Summit homeowners,” sheriff’s spokeswoman Shirley Miller told The Signal Monday.
“At first glance, COBRA Team investigators do not believe that the incidents are gang related,” she said. “However, detectives are still in the early stages of investigation.”
Summit residents woke up with a big surprise Sunday morning. Much of their neighborhood had been vandalized and property owners did not even know who the culprits were.
There was a wide array of graffiti in various places including garages, sidewalks, fences, light poles and even vehicles. Sheriff’s officials confirmed at least six reports of various kinds of vandalism but Summit residents, such as Ann Smith, reported seeing dozens of different kinds of graffiti as she drove around her neighborhood Sunday morning.
Her own house fell victim to the vandalism, with the number 300 and other illegible graffiti on her garage.
“I was in shock because I didn’t expect it in this neighborhood,” she said
Sheriff’s officials are unsure what the markings signify but will be investigating their meaning in the future.
Smith was not the only resident in shock about the vandalism. Robin Parihar woke up with neighbors knocking on his door Sunday morning informing him that his house had also been vandalized.
Sheriff officials, such as Lt. Chuck Becerra of the SCV Sheriff’s Station are unsure at this point if the markings are gang-related but he recognizes that they could be done by some sort of tagging crew.
Becerra does not recognize where the markings came from but he says the sheriff’s station has deputies that are experts in such matters. He intends to pass the markings off to them to see if the deputies can identify where the graffiti came from.
“I don’t recognize the markings but I know someone here will,” he said.
Signal Senior Staff Writer Jim Holt contributed to this report
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