Acid Graffiti Leaves Mark On Midtown Sacramento
Some Businesses Hit Many Times In Last Year

POSTED: 10:23 pm PST January 18, 2007
UPDATED: 7:10 am PST January 19, 2007


SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Businesses in midtown Sacramento are dealing with a new form of graffiti that's said to be showing up in major cities across the country.

It is called chemical etching, a process that leaves deep, milky, permanent scars on glass.

Business owners said it is done at night by tagging crews using sulfuric acid etching cream ordered from overseas.


Some businesses have been hit several times in the past year.

The graffiti cannot be buffed out. Instead, each pane of glass has to be replaced, at a cost of hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Merchants said they would like to see more police patrols and lighting in the area.

The Sacramento Police Department said it is aware of the growing problem but said it is a difficult crime to stop. Police are asking businesses and residents to be more vigilant and provide detailed reports of the crimes.