SANTA CRUZ — Judges have tagged three people with jail terms for graffiti recently, an encouraging sign to those who combat such vandalism.
Last week, a 26-year-old was sentenced to six months for a November "bombing" in which he tagged more than 90 downtown Santa Cruz spots, painting black, gold and silver letters on trees, fences, cars, buildings and just about anything he passed by.
Nicholas Pierce of Elk Grove pleaded guilty to more than 30 vandalism counts, including two felonies. He will serve three years probation and was ordered to pay $2,000 restitution, court officials say.
On May 19, two former UC Santa Cruz art students were sentenced for painting antiwar drawings on power boxes and other "canvases" on the Westside in March 2003. Both must pay $1,000 restitution.
Ian Mailhot, 26, got 30 days in jail, 150 hours community service and one year of graffiti cleanup. Paul French, 20, got five days in jail, 100 hours of service and nine months of cleanup.
Julie Hendee of the city’s Redevelopment Agency said she was encouraged by the sentences. The city spends about $200,000 annually to combat graffiti, she said.
The agency revamped its anti-graffiti efforts about two years ago and pays for graffiti removal if it’s not done within a day or two. The RDA works with Graffiti Free Santa Cruz, which has signed up more than 100 volunteers to adopt certain areas.
"We’ve really, really been working on this and trying to get police, dispatchers, judges and everyone to take it more seriously," she said. "Graffiti is not a victimless crime."
Cafe Bene owner Ken Botelho remembers getting a Sunday morning call about Pierce’s markings on walls and windows of the Cedar Street cafe. Employees cleaned and repainted, and the building owner replaced an $800 window, he said.
"The wanton disregard for public and private property is just appalling," he said.
Detective Kayla Gray found Pierce via a graffiti network after police in Sacramento, where he was convicted of vandalism, recognized his tags.
In a sentencing report, Pierce expressed remorse and said he had felt hopeless due to financial and relationship problems. He said he wanted to use his "muralist" skills to work in design. Pierce has two children and works in maintenance at a hospital, earning $15 per hour.
District Attorney Bob Lee said he is committed to prosecuting such vandalism, and disputed defense attorney claims that he overcharged French and Mailhot with felony vandalism, though a judge reduced the charges to misdemeanors.
"It’s really no different from taking a sledgehammer and destroying people’s property," he said. "Trust me, all these graffiti people think it’s art in some aspect.
"And in a way, Mailhot and French were more immature. They were given a lot of gifts and to do that to a community that basically educated them is not something to be proud of."
Vandalism can be charged as a felony, carrying up to a year in jail and a $10,000 fine, if it causes more than $400 damage.
Call Graffiti Free Santa Cruz at 420-5303.