Fresh tags could land 'Buket' in state prison

"Buket," the daredevil tagger who gained notoriety for his brazen daylight "bomb" of a sign over the Hollywood Freeway, could be headed to state prison after authorities said today they found fresh evidence of his tags in downtown and South Los Angeles.

Los Angeles County sheriff's transit investigators did a probation compliance search at graffiti artist Cyrus Yazdani's residence this morning after they found new "Buket" tags on a South Los Angeles business, a mural on the Hollywood Freeway and the concrete lining of the Los Angeles River, which authorities said had been one of his favorite targets.

Sheriff's officials said that when they interviewed Yazdani, he was in possession of scribers, which are used in tagging. He also had paint splatter on his clothing. He was later detained and brought to the Century Regional Detention Center, where he is being held without bail on a parole violation.

In December, a judge sentenced "Buket," whose real name is Cyrus Yazdani, to 10 months in county jail, 256 hours of graffiti removal and five years' formal probation after he pleaded guilty to nearly three dozen counts of felony vandalism. He was released from jail for credit for time served but faced the prospect of three years in state prison if he violated the terms of sentence.

The case stemmed from a tagging spree between 2005 and 2007, during which, authorities said, the 26-year-old San Jose State University graduate slapped his tags on buses, freeway walls and overpasses as well as the concrete lining of the Los Angeles River.

Yazdani became something of an Internet sensation when he plastered his "Buket" bomb 20 feet above the busy Hollywood Freeway -- vandalism that was captured on videotape and posted with a rap soundtrack on YouTube and numerous tagger-related blogs. 

Another daylight attack, which was also videotaped, appeared to show "Buket" applying his moniker to a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus as passersby and passengers watched in surprise.

A YouTube video that captured both tagging exploits has more than 450,000 views. But the notoriety also got the attention of sheriff's transit investigators, who last May arrested Yazdani.

Sheriff's officials said they had evidence that Yazdani had marked hundreds of freeway
overpasses, concrete walls and transit buses across the state and southern Nevada.

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies and officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers identified at least 20 "Buket" scrawlings along a stretch of the river spanning a couple of miles, causing an estimated $60,000 in damage.

-- Andrew Blankstein

Photo: Some of the work attributed to "Buket" in the L.A. River. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

More photos

Comments

[Leric Goodman]

California is running a HUGE deficit. It must balance the budget for real. No gimmicks.

And someone wants to put a TAGGER in prison for TAGGING!!!!

Has someone taken leave of his or her senses? It costs about $20K per year to keep someone in Prison.

California can now afford only to keep prisoners who really are immediate dangers human life.

[alan]

I say give him a toothbrush and 1000 gallons of paint remover and tell him to get started cleaning up his mess.

[Chuck Wiley]

They should put him away but make him come out everyday to clean up his mess.

Taggers like him are nothing more than dogs - graffiti is akin to a dog pissing on a plant, except that the dog's urine doesn't stain the plant permanently.

These punks are blight on society and should be treated as such.

I find it hard to believe that this guy actually went to and graduated from college. This doesn't say much for San Jose State Univ.

Good riddance!

[Jason]

Don't send this guy to prison: he's not worth it.

Alternative solution: tag his face instead; permanently, with tatoos.

[J]

Held without bail?

Good.

[Justice for Everyman]

Send this punk to state prison for the rest of his life. We need stiffer penalties for graffiti. Make it a major felony. This sort of property destruction would get you the death penalty in other countries. We need to take back our road signs and walls from these punks. Never let them see the light of day again. Police should have a "shoot first" green light when they see and catch these ungodly punks in the act of tagging.

[haroldt]

Obvioulsy the guy thinks he can do whatever he wants to OTHER PEOPLE PROPERTY. Defending him is just a lame excuse..people work hard to pay their taxes and this fool literally deficats on public property. Jail him and throw away the key. My guess is he will claim some moronic addiction.. and have lots of people feeling sorry for HIM!

[Ali Rza]

STUPID WASTE OF TIME! FREE BUKET!!! LOCK UP REAL CRIMINALS!! YOU CANT STOP AND WILL NEVER STOP GRAFFITI, ITS A WORLDWIDE MOVEMENT. TIME FOR THE STATE TO RECOGNIZE ITS CULTURAL IMPORTANCE AND STOP CRIMINALIZING THE YOUTH!

[SteveC]

While I semi-agree that the expense to lock him up is prohibitive in these hard financial times, maybe we ought to consider that it would be a lot cheaper to remove all his fingers, or maybe just his thumbs to prevent further such activities. After all, where's the money going to come from to clean up the messes he made?? I mean, it's tough economically out there, right?

[Floyd MaCGillicuTTy]

I guess Leric didn't read the part where it says the Tagger caused an estimated $60k in damage just from one spree. Much of that is paid for by the taxpayers under Operation Clean Sweep, so putting this guy away will certainly cost less than cleaning up behind him every time he feels the urge to get "creative".

[Fred]

Leric,
Do you know how much we spend per year in cleaning up after these thugs? I have a better idea - chop his friggin hands off. Lets go China-style on these idiots.

How much do we have to take? - he should be in hard labor cleaning cement walls for the next 20 years

[Mr simon]

Why don't they fine his parents the $60,000 and If they don't or can't pay, put them in jail with him!

[AuntTora]

Well, if they're going to spend $60,000 to clean up his mess for just a couple of miles, $20,000 a year sounds like good value.

[marcus preston]

I agree with the above comments. Why are we so worried about somone who is tagging buildings and signs. It is a part of urban culture and will never go away.

Lets focus on more important things such as the state of our economy and currupt healthcare system.

I also agree on the comments regarding the broken prison system and the cost associated with jailing offenders......

[Jake]

Leric, the only problem is that taggers don't get more prison time. These taggers have destroyed the aesthetic beauty that once shown over Los Angeles. I hope this scum forgets to put his soap on a rope.

[Ken]

Tagging is one of the things that get my ire. I can't stand them and it usually is associated with bangers. They are worthless to society and the scum of neighborhoods. Freeway signs should have breakaway ledges so they can get what they deserve.......

[Westside Steve]

Tagging is vandalism, plain and simple. It is urban CRIME not urban culture. If its art, then place it on your own media and sell it or hang it in your house. This is a violent crime against the city herself. 20K a year to keep this criminal off the streets is a bargain in my mind - its only one fourth a teachers salary and would have a much more positive effect on the cities quality of life.
The judge gave him his chance, he could have continued to work as a legit artist, but this is obviously an obsessive criminal behavior.

[Yolanda]

Did any of you notice that the article said nothing about him being caught in the act - there is no proof that he committed any of the alleged acts of vandalism.

He was not caught in the act, and the evidence mentioned in the article of him having paint on his clothing ( No kidding, a man who went to college for art and graphic design has paint stains on his clothing..) and having tools that could potentially be used for vandalism is in no way a given for vandalism.

Its also known that graffiti writers often tag or write the names of their friends who are in jail, etc as a way to continue what they started. Besides, unless there were dates written next to the pieces being used as evidence, there is no way of proving those are brand new - and not something simply over looked by the police department.

Half of the people commenting on here need to grow up. Lobbing threats about removing peoples hands and locking non violent offenders up for life is absolutely ridiculous. We all break laws in one way or another be it jay walking, rolling a stop sign or in the more excessive painting graffiti - and while they all deserve punishment the bill needs to fit the action.

Get some sense and reason, its paint, it will fade or be covered, and really - on the daily, its has little effect on you. It doesn't change you getting your raise, drinking your coffee or reading this article while at work (when you should be doing some thing else.)

[Ersa]

$60,000?

$60,000?!!

Whoever believes these nonsense figures without slight hestitation because of their prejudice against graffiti and graffiti writers is a fool. It takes a couple of guys, some household cleaners and a pressure washer to remove a whole mural from a wall. $60,000?! i don't think so.

"Taggers like him are nothing more than dogs - graffiti is akin to a dog pissing on a plant, except that the dog's urine doesn't stain the plant permanently. "

Well Chuck Wiley, i'm a tagger just like him, and seeing as i've resorted to reasoning out this debate instead of pure aggression and slander like yourself, i guess that makes your more of a dog than this tagger. Oh and paint, just like dog's urine doesn't stain a wall or plant premanently either!

"I find it hard to believe that this guy actually went to and graduated from college. This doesn't say much for San Jose State Univ."

Also Chuck, it doesn't say much for you(again) that in your ignorance of what makes a graffiti writer, you've assumed that we're all idiots. Admittely a lot of us are, but even more of us are perfectly iintelligent and rational people, that exhibit dedication and passion that the average joe rarely shows for anything, let alone something from which they take nothing but condemnation from the public and pride and respect from their graffiti peers.

So far theres 17 posts on this story, a handful pro graffiti, some of those such as yolanda's and leric goodman's are intelligent and thoughful. The majority of the anti-graffiti comments are aggressive, illogical, and some downright stupid.

"Alternative solution: tag his face instead; permanently, with tatoos."

Jason, thats pathetic.

"Police should have a "shoot first" green light when they see and catch these ungodly punks in the act of tagging."

Justice for Everyman, you should really learn what justice is, as clearly you have no perception of it, shoot first for tagging? ... i'm speechless.

Graffiti has been around in a modern sense for over 40 years, in that time its developed from simple tags to elaborate and beautiful murals. It is art, and it is here to stay, to continue to evolve, to capture the imagination of passerby, to direct the youth away from the far worse temptations the world can offer.

Many graffit artists are from a disadvantaged background where they could easily have become drug dealers, "gang bangers" or worse. Instead they chose to paint walls. They should be commended not condemned.

I really can't get over the ignorance and stupidity in these comments, cut off his hands, make freeways signs death traps, charge his parents?! Go "China-style" on him?! Who are you people? In my opinion, your views do more harm to society than graffiti ever did. Grow up and come up with a reasoned argument against graffiti with REAL facts and figures, investigate yourselves and just maybe you'll remove the veil of ignorance thats settled over your eyes.

As to Buket? Much props for the damage done, i hope everyone works out for and you continue to gift your art to the public! Peace and good luck!

ERSA

[noira]

The people who defend graffiti make no sense.

Graffiti on private property costs the person who owns the building or wall or whatever money to clean up. How would YOU feel if someone graffitied YOUR house?

When you graffiti a business, you drive up the costs of running that business - and that gets passed on to the consumer - YOU and me.

Or it comes out of the owner's pocket - money that person could have spent to put his kids through school.

And if you think it's okay to vandalize PUBLIC property - look at it this way... we ALL own public property, so we ALL pay to clean it up - it comes out of your pocket for some douche to put his stupid name on a wall. Is it really worth it? You might think it is okay, and you might think that graffiti on public property is okay, but we all own public property - it's not up to you or the taggers to decide. Put it up to a vote if you want - you'll lose. People think graffiti is retarded.

[Truth and Honor]

Hey ERSA,

How about this, if Cyrus feels like giving me and the rest of the public a "gift" I will gladly accept a check from him that equals the cost of cleaning up his "art."

I would much rather have the money so I can buy some art supplies for my kids, rather than have to pay to clean up after him.

Sound fair?