Raids net alleged members of tagger crew that hit L.A., Las Vegas

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies today arrested at least eight alleged members of the notorious Metro Transit Assassins tagging crew, some of whom are believed to be responsible for a several-blocks-long “MTA” tag in the concrete Los Angeles River bed that authorities say will cost millions of dollars to remove.

The arrests occurred during a series of early-morning raids centered in the Hollywood area. Among those detained for a parole violations is a famous tagger whose work “SMEAR” has has won acclaim in the art community.

Those arrested were booked on suspicion of vandalism, drug possession, narcotics for sales, weapons possession and other parole violations, officials said

"These individuals are responsible for tags not only in Los Angeles but Las Vegas and San Francisco,” said Sheriff’s Cmdr. Dan Finkelstein, who is chief of the Metropolitan Transit Authority police. “The Army Corps of Engineers estimates that removing the "MTA" tag from the riverbed alone will cost $3.7 million.

Cleaning graffiti from the river is far more expensive than cleaning other areas. Officials use high-pressure water spray to remove the toxic paint.

But hazardous-materials crews must then dam and capture all the paint and water runoff to prevent it from getting into the river. The crew did an additional $20,000 worth of damage to transit vehicles and facilities. Finkelstein said the Los Angeles River "MTA" tag, in a vast industrial district east of downtown between two rail yards, took about 400 gallons of paint -- 300 gallons white and 100 gallons black. “It took them four nights to do it,” he said.

The three block letters cover a three-story-high wall and run the length of several blocks between the 4th Street and 1st Street bridges. The tagging crew, which is also known as “Melting Toys Away” and “Must Take All,” began about the time the transportation agency began using the MTA letters. Investigators say they have statements, including some on video, that implicate some of the crew members in the enormous tag.

“Some of this group could face federal charges,” Finkelstein said. During the raids, Finkelstein said, investigators found customized high-pressure fire extinguishers that, when filled with paint, allow the tagger to hang upside down on the underside of a freeway and quickly scrawl massive graffiti. These taggers are not kids, he said.

Most those detained are in their 20s; one of them drives a $60,000 BMW, and another member possesses a diamond-and-ruby-encrusted Metro logo pendant with paperwork suggesting it's worth $29,000, Finkelstein said.

-- Richard Winton

Photo: Police car shows scale of the giant "MTA" tag in the Los Angeles River in May 2008. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[CR]

Seems there are more harmful tags in LA than these. The paint in the river looks better than just a monotonous gray scar running through the city. I actually enjoy staring out the window when pulling out of Union Station. Also, it seems like these guys can't win. If they get the legal blessing of the county, their work gets whitewashed (a la the arroyo seco incident a couple years back) and if they do it illegally, the face federal charges.

[d0d0ng]

Cars and properties of these vandals should be expropriated by the city or state to recover the cleanup cost of graffittis.

[JpR]

someone is going to make a movie of this.

[Mark]

Chopping off their hands sounds like a fair punishment to me.

[JCS]

They deface and damage other people's property in the name of art. It's not art, it's nothing more than ego based, childish graffiti, usually nothing more than their moniker, or the tagger group's name. If they're artists, let them find another medium that doesn't encroach on others.

[Allen Braun]

I agree with "d0d0ng". Seize their property and bank account. Garnish their wages. That would only put a small dent in the repair bill, but should give pause to others.

[Dave]

$3.7 million??????
I will underbid that for 3.5 right now.

[Christopher]

If we don't have enough room in California prisons for these vandals, let's send them to China. I suspect they are not soft on graffiti artists and other social parasites over there.

[Dan who Knows All]

It will cost millions? That's why governments will doom us all. Paint over it. I'll do it for only one million.

[Sal B]

$3.7 million to remove the paint? Why not just paint over it with non-toxic paint to cover it up, and leave it where it is. Would that cost $3.7 million as well?

Seems ridiculous to remove it, since some other vandals will just come in and paint it when they've got a nice clean surface again. Instead, just deface it.

[nmoore6676]

I agree, as a person who works with graphics that a lot of the tagging is quite artistic. I believe that the problem is that there are ancillary activates, drugs and all, that accompany the activity. That combined with the fact that it is vandalism because they are decorating without the owner's permission is why the authrities want to stop it. I am not sure how we can resolve it but I do appreciate the artistic nature of it, just not the low life creepos who just scrawl their initials all over though.

[economics]

By the BY, The adult taggers- an oxymoron, need to be charged for the clean up. It's unfortuant that tax payers have to pay for the jail time, judges, lawyers, etc. I mean, bad parenting cost as much as a bad war.

[Matt]

Cost millions to remove? How does it cost anywhere near $1,000,000 dollars to remove a large area of paint from concrete... not even getting into whether or not it looks better than the industrial grey, but MILLIONS of dollars to remove? Is the new base minimum for any city work being done $1,000,000? I want to see some specific numbers here.

[ChaChi]

Looks like the Army Corp of Engineers is really CLEANING up on this one!

[dane Koncan]

Really, 3.7 million dollars to remove the white and black paint in the LA river. I ask you... Does the water line ever reach the height of the letters. NO! The MTA logo on the LA river should stay. It does not pose any real threat to the environment and at a time like this we do not need to spend 3.7 million to remove the paint. Grandfather it.

[Jason]

Why even bother removing it? Other than it being "toxic paint" (isn't all paint toxic? considering how nasty the LA river is I don't think it would make a big difference), i can think of many other places that 3.7mill would be better spent.

I hope they are planning on milking these guys for every penny they have...

[rcs]

let them spend their lives working off the restitution to the citizens who have to put up with their blight.

[Randy]

Save the LA River and ocean life. Why should any sentient being have to contend with the toxic run-off? Yes, water does reach it as rain leaches the chemicals out of the concrete and floods scour the paint. Where's the art in a black and white block letter sign? It's a dumb.ss idea and was thrown up by a dumb.ss crew.

[j. Lazarte]

3.7 million??
Does that include the overpaid state workers' salaries?

[that wrong - let the artist be]

graffiti is the art of the urban soul, these artist should have a place to create their art. The L.A. River is a good way to leave these people to practice their form of art. let them be go after the real crooks - the financiers that put is in this depression.

[CJ]

I agree with "dodong" too... I don't think it would cost millions of dollars to clean up, it probably only cost them $100 worth of paint to do the work...If these guys really want to paint something then make them paint over it and clean it up. and make them pay for the material to clean it up, so nothing comes out of the cities budget. and if they can not pay for it then garnish their wages, taxes and so on. if thy are under the age of 18 then garnish their parents wages...

[Larry Parker]

It is completely idiotic to remove the paint. There are millions of gallons of painted lane markings on roads in California. Those are OK to leave, and so is the grafitti. $3.7 million? No wonder govermnents are all in the red.

[John]

Thay are NOT "tagging." They are VANDALIZING.

[Bjorn Toulousse]

Props to those MTA kids, what a beautiful piece. The real crime is the paving of the LA River to prevent flooding in the first place. Condors used to live there. It's pathetic that people want blood and Taliban-Congolese style torture and vengeance for simply applying SOME PIGMENT to a concrete surface. OH NO! someone changed a COLOR!!! All these "Citizens" screaming for blood because someone defaced "their" property are fools. I hope Google earth gets a shot before the DPW or whatever you got down there spends a retarded amount of the taxpayer's money to return the riverbank to the color Jos Stalin would approve of. Keep it uniform - keep the landLORDS. happy Gritos from Frisco -stay up.

[Lysette]

The real crime is that the Army Corps claim it will cost them $3.7 million to remove it from the river bed walls. Give us all a break and stop insulting our intelligence. Isn't it the Army that invoices $20 for a roll of toilet paper? I agree with the first post, CR, that these guys can't seem to win even when given a legal place to paint. And I, too, enjoy the view of the river with the addition of these urban pieces.