Police in Los Angeles have arrested two men suspected to be part of a group that has been plastering graffiti across 30 floors of an under-construction high-rise building.
LAPD said early Friday that Victor Daniel Ramirez, 35, and Roberto Perez, 25, both from LA, were arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of trespassing and released from custody.
There were no charges but the force said the matter is still being investigated and that detectives “will work to identify those responsible to make arrests.”
Police were called to a report of vandalism at the 1200 block of South Figueroa Street, opposite the Crypto.com Arena, in the early hours of Tuesday. Helicopter footage shot by NBC Los Angeles on Wednesday showed tags across several floors.
“During the investigation, a Tactical Flight Officer with LAPD’s Air Support Division observed over a dozen suspects in the building, trespassing and possibly spray-painting on the building,” police said in a statement.
“Additional patrol units arrived, however, the suspects, except for two, had fled the location prior to the additional units’ arrival,” it continued.
LAPD added that officers were called to another possible vandalism incident in the early hours of Thursday near West 11th Street and South Flower Street, after receiving reports of suspects spray-painting on the 30th floor of another under-construction building.
Officers arrived and were told by security staff at the site that suspected were fleeing in a vehicle, which failed to stop despite police commands. Police then caught up with the driver, who was cited for failing to yield to an officer, while the passenger was questioned and released.
City Mayor Karen Bass’ office said it was aware of the issue and working with the city attorney to tackle it.
“The Mayor’s Office is aware and working to address this issue but the City can’t immediately clean the graffiti because of legal constraints relating to private property,” Bass’ office said in a statement to NBC Los Angeles.
“The Mayor’s Office is working closely with the city attorney and several city Departments to put forward a solution that resolves this,” it added.
