DPD arrests two gang members for graffiti damage

By Bruce Whetten
Douglas Dispatch
Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 1:25 PM MDT


Douglas Police have arrested two male gang members for a recent rash of graffiti damage in the Douglas area.


According to Mark Gonzales of the Douglas Police Dept., officers from his department had responded to several calls of graffiti in the area of the 1800 blocks of 19th St. through 21st St. in the early morning hours on July 18.

Gonzales said police later responded to the Huber Middle School for graffiti damage.

Douglas Police obtained a DVD copy of the surveillance video footage of the suspects causing the graffiti damage at Huber Middle School from DUSD personnel.

Gonzales said DPD teamed up with GIITEM (Arizona State Gang Task Force) Detectives to pursue leads.

“GIITEM Detectives identified one of the male subjects in the video as juvenile, Edgar Rene Valdez-LaMadrid, 16, a known member of a local criminal street gang,” Gonzales said. “GIITEM Detectives sought assistance from the Douglas Juvenile Probation Office to identify the second male subject.”

Eventually the second suspect was identified.

GIITEM Detectives arrested Valdez-LaMadrid, a juvenile who has been remanded as an adult, and Matias Torres,18, for the graffiti damage.

Both individuals were charged with criminal damage, aggravated criminal damage (Huber Middle School), burglary, and participating in or assisting a criminal street gang.  Both subjects were transported to the Cochise County Jail for incarceration.

“This case is a great example of how different police agencies work together to reach a common goal,” Gonzales said. “Douglas Police, GIITEM, JPO, and DUSD are continuing to build a close working relationship in order to help alleviate the gang and graffiti problem in Douglas.”

Gonzales said greater community involvement would definitely help make a stronger team to battle juvenile delinquency in Douglas.

Police are asking members of the community to become more involved in reporting crimes and taking an active role in deterring crime.

 

Copyright © 2012 Douglas Dispatch

Comments

    Too Bad wrote on Aug 18, 2009 5:37 PM:

    " We have a nice town now but if you notice when you go to Tucson they have so much graffiti everywhere.It looks terrible. That's what will happen to Douglas if the stores in town keep seliing spray paint to gang kids.Come on you know by the attire why they want spray paint. They ruin neighborhoods and their parents don't care because they don't have to pay for damages. "

    Beth Fernandez wrote on Aug 14, 2009 5:47 PM:

    " Yes! "Greater Community involvement" and "taking an active role in deterring crime" are the real answers to this growing problem, not of just the graffiti, but the larger issue of the gang involvement that it represents. Maybe all these kids need is a role model to point out options and pay a little positive attention to them. Any Citizen of Douglas can volunteer to mentor kids already involved in the court system, but few actually do. The challenge is how many people will pick up the phone and call the Juvenile Probation Office (364-4044)and say, "I'd like to spend an hour a week with a local kid, how do I start... "

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