Man Receives 14 Months In Jail For Graffiti

Springdale Resident Also Ordered To Clean Up Mess
This article was published on Friday, April 20, 2007 10:32 PM CDT in News
By Bob Caudle
The Morning News
SPRINGDALE -- A Springdale man will spend 14 months in jail, pay $361 in restitution and $225 in court costs for a graffiti spree in March.

Oscar Martinez, 18, pleaded guilty in Springdale District Court Friday to first-degree criminal mischief for graffiti, revocation of a suspended 60-day sentence for earlier cutting up desks at Springdale High School and criminal trespass.

The criminal trespassing charge arose after Martinez, who is no longer a high school student, returned to the high school. Martinez also pled guilty to a city ordinance of possession of markers with intent to commit graffiti.

"Our plan is to put him out cleaning graffiti while he's serving his time in jail," said Jeff Harper, Springdale city attorney. "We've decided to seek the maximum sentence (one year in jail) for all cases of graffiti. This particular case involved 10 different instances of graffiti."

Martinez received a one-year and two-month sentence. The two months was tagged on from the revocation of his earlier suspended sentence.

Springdale Police Sgt. Billy Turnbough arrested Martinez on March 13, after noticing Martinez sitting at a park bench table at Grove Street Park, writing on the table with a marker.

Turnbough is the head of the Springdale Nuisance Abatement Program which was formed, in part, to stop graffiti.

According to a police report, Martinez admitted to committing graffiti at:

* The side of the building of Amigo Market at Park Street and Caudle Avenue

* A privacy fence at West End Street Apartments

* A privacy fence on McRay Street

* Different locations at Murphy Park

* The side of the building of Block buster Video on Sunset Avenue

* A privacy fence on Electric Avenue

* A privacy fence off of Bailey Street

* A vacant triplex on Velma Street

* A privacy fence on Hill Street

Martinez also admitted painting two locations in Fayetteville, police said.

Harper said his office has little tolerance for graffiti and especially in Martinez's case.

"In February, when he pled guilty to carving up a desk at the high school, I made it clear I'd seek the maximum if I saw him again," Harper said. "He'd already had his warning."

Reader Comments (10 comment(s))
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Deacon wrote on Apr 21, 2007 1:55 AM:

" Glad the Judge gave him the maxium sentence and that he be required to clean all his Graffiti off the structures he sprayed. (can't say he wasn't warned). Hopefully they'll require him to clean any other Graffiti that may arise until the next offender is caught/sentenced. Maybe they will learn a valuable lesson after they see how hard it is to remove. "



I'm not that kind of a Deacon wrote on Apr 21, 2007 11:23 AM:

" 14 months??? It's surprising that the judge didn't pull out the cane and have the "man," beaten; meanwhile someone can steal half a million dollars but because they wear starched shirts to work everyday, they get suspended sentences or house arrest, a virtual slap on the wrist. The boy deserves to be punished, no doubt, but 14 months in jail will only serve to expose this youth to hardened criminals. He should be forced to do community service, like cleaning up the city, perhaps work with animals and or special needs children; exposure to these kinds of experiences have been shown to be life altering. What happened to the notion of rehabilitating troubled youths? This is law enforcement run amok. "



Let him rot wrote on Apr 21, 2007 12:24 PM:

" I hope the little thug rots in jail. Perhaps then he will learn respect for OTHERS. "



To Deacon wrote on Apr 21, 2007 12:41 PM:

" "will only serve to expose this youth to hardened criminals.' What do you think he is already. If i were you, i would worry about the people already in jail that will be exposed to HIM. He's a gang-banging thug. If you want to rehabilitate, go to Santa Ana, California or Phoenix and see what happens when you are soft on gang crime. "



To: Question wrote on Apr 21, 2007 5:21 PM:

" When is the last time a "white" kid was arrested for graffiti? It hasn't happened has it? If it does happen, he should get the same 14 months. However, the fact remains that these graffiti artists are little Hispanic thugs. If the Hispanic community doesn't like the association, they should help in preventing the problem instead of whining about respecting their so-called culture. "



Problem wrote on Apr 21, 2007 7:12 PM:

" Ok he got caught, or rather he confessed. He was tried and sentenced. He now has to do some cleaning up of graffiti. That in itself is a fair sentence. Maybe, just maybe he will learn something about what residents and business owners have to go through when property is defaced in such a manner. This is not about disrespect of a culture, not about a race, not about civil rights or any of that. This is about defacing public property which is a crime, and if you ask me the sentence is a fair one, and one in which he might just learn a little something and hopefully he wont be out there doing it again when his sentence is served. "



Deacon wrote on Apr 21, 2007 7:41 PM:

" TO: I'm Not That Kind Of Deacon................It stated in the article that he is going to do Community Service, by cleaning up Graffiti. He'll just have his room and board provided for him while he does it. Even after the Judge warned him in a previous sentencing that he would seek the maximum penalty the next time, he still went out and sprayed 10 different locations with out a care in the world. I think the Judge was way to easy on him..........TO: A QUESTION.......We are not making this a racial issue. It is not our fault he's hispanic. As the City Attorney stated "We've decided to seek the maximum sentence ( one year in jail) for all cases of Graffiti." Now, how is that showing racial discrimination ? "



American Citizen wrote on Apr 21, 2007 8:49 PM:

" Funny how everytime a Hispanic gets punished for a crime they commited it's racial discrimination.We all know one crime they're not being punished for don't we? "



To my pink necked heroes wrote on Apr 22, 2007 3:25 PM:

" You "concerned folks" have vandalized more property, harassed more innocent people, stuck more knifes in people, and destroyed more lives than these little "thugs" ever could or would. You've had over a hundred years to grow up and still you refuse to do it. No worries my backwards hillbilly friends, we hippies are working overtime to educate those little "thugs" of yours that come to school spouting off the same nonsense they learned from you. It will take a while but as you all love to say, "We'll git er dun.” If it wasn't for us "left wing tree huggers you would still be fighting the same war you've been regretting that you lost all these years. Like I said, we're here for you; we understand you can't help yourselves. "



lifelongcitizen wrote on Apr 23, 2007 8:12 AM:

" I don't care what nationality or color they are, they need to receive punishment enough to deter them from doing this again. I've contemplated putting up a privacy fence, and honestly have hesitated due to the increased grafetti in Springdale. Good job to law enforcement on this one. Keep it up. "