At approximately 3:06 a.m. on April 17, 2012 a citizen in the area of North Church and West Alameda called 911 to report that a male and female were actively tagging in the area. Officers from Operations Division Downtown responded to the area, arriving within 3 minutes of their original dispatch. Shortly after their arrival to the area, the officers located two subjects who were similar in description to that given by the citizen who called 911. The subjects had evidence of tagging in their possession and on their person. They were detained without incident. Officers from the Graffiti Enforcement Unit, also known as the Tag Unit, also responded to assist with the investigation.
The investigation revealed that the male and female committed acts of graffiti vandalism at an estimated 15 different locations throughout the Downtown area. Some of the locations that were affected included: the YMCA building located at 60 West Alameda, the 6th Avenue Underpass, the east-facing adobe wall of the Presidio structure located at 199 North Church, and various electrical poles. The male was identified as 19-year old Sean Chavez Flores, and the female was identified as 19-year old Rhianna Aspen Martinez Yates. Both have been arrested, and each was charged with one count of Aggravated Criminal Damage, a felony offense. Additional charges may be pending at a later time. Mr. Chavez Flores and Ms. Martinez Yates were transported and booked into the Pima County Jail. Booking photographs as well as some photographs taken at sites where they committed their acts of graffiti vandalism are included below.
The Tucson Police Department continues working diligently to address graffiti issues in an expeditious manner. In this instance, officers were able to apprehend the suspects while they were still in the immediate area due to the quick notification provided by the citizen who called 911. Anyone observing acts of vandalism as they are occurring is encouraged to call 911 in order that police personnel can address the issues as they happen and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.
