A Saugus woman arrested eight times in the past two years was placed on probation last week — over the objection of prosecutors — after she pleaded no contest to two felony counts, including felony vandalism, and one misdemeanor count of mail theft.
Since January 2017, Tiffany Thomas, 32, has been released on a citation in four of the eight times she was arrested, according to court records.
On July 17, 2018, she was arrested by deputies of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station on suspicion of felony graffiti vandalism for allegedly spray-painting a mural on three buildings at Santa Clarita Park.
She went to court Jan. 11 on a charge of felony vandalism.
“She pleaded to one felony count each of forgery relating to a check, money order or traveler’s check exceeding $950 and vandalism over $400 damage-graffiti, as well as one misdemeanor count of mail theft,” Ricardo Santiago, spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, said in March.
The charges other than vandalism pertained to stolen checks and forged checks found in the woman’s car.
Thomas was scheduled to be sentenced for what prosecutors thought would be jail time on Jan. 31. But that didn’t happen.
After she entered her plea, she violated the terms of probation, Santiago said.
On May 22, she appeared in court for having violated her probation.
“Over the people’s objection, the court reinstated probation and ordered the defendant back into a drug program,” DA spokeswoman Venusse Navid said Tuesday.
With regards to Thomas’ conviction for felony vandalism, the damage done to city park property cost more than $400 to repair, elevating the charge to a felony.
Thomas was seen with several cans of spray paint, spray-painting a mural of graffiti on three city buildings at Santa Clarita Park on Seco Canyon Road, north of Decoro Drive.
“The mural said something to the effect of ‘Happy Birthday’ with someone’s name and then a note that said ‘Dirty 30,’” Shirley Miller, spokeswoman for the SCV Sheriff’s Station, said at the time of the arrest.
The graffiti was removed promptly by city staffers.
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