Police consider graffiti about killing Jerry Brown a 'terrorist threat,' seek links to earlier vandalism
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Both Santa Ana police and Gov. Jerry Brown's security detail on Friday are trying find out who wrote graffiti on two walls threatening to kill the new governor on Valentine's Day.
The graffiti, which threatened the governor and included a Nazi swastika, was discovered Thursday and is considered a "terrorist threat." Authorities are also probing any links to earlier graffiti in the area threating to kill Catholics.
"At this point," Cpl. Anthony Bertagna of the Santa Ana Police Department said, "we have no clue, other than it's Valentine's Day."
One of the scrawls said, "We gonna kill Gov. Brown 2/14/11," and was discovered by a resident about 7 a.m. on a block wall on South Greenville Street near Alton Avenue, Bertagna said. The threat was sprayed with black paint.
Later in the day, a Santa Ana police officer spotted the second message on a block wall on Segerstrom Avenue. Painted in red, it said, "26 more days 4 Brown." A swastika was painted next to it, Bertagna said.
Santa Ana police contacted the California Highway Patrol, which is responsible for protecting the governor. Bertagna said investigators were checking the governor's schedule to see if he was planning to visit the area on Feb. 14, which is Valentine's Day.
Anyone with information is asked to call Santa Ana police at (714) 245-8390.
--Robert J. Lopez
Photo: KTLA
EDITOR'S PICKS:
The investigators blew it by releasing this info. They should have watched to see who showed up to change the number of remaining days and then nab them.
Posted by: Alan | January 21, 2011 at 12:48 PM
Its also possible that someone who wants to turn public sentiment against conservatives and Republicans has had those messages painted to fan the flame.
Posted by: Thoughtful | January 21, 2011 at 01:02 PM
Who ever wrote this, there either pulling your leg or they are an idiot. A Nazi swastika goes the other way. The symbol they have on there is the buddist's symbol for life...also why would the media give this any hype? Dumb Dumb Dumb
Posted by: Grant | January 21, 2011 at 01:03 PM
Spare me. Is every distasteful thing a terrorist threat now? In the sidewalk in front of my apartment, someone has written "Larry G sucks lobs." Now, I don't know who "Larry G" is, and I can only guess at what a "lob" is, but do we need to treat it as a Class A crime?
Its either a 15-year-old or its a hoax. I'd put even money on either. Nice police work there, Lou.
Posted by: Phil McKann | January 21, 2011 at 01:05 PM
This is graffiti taken to an entirely new level. Why would you advertise something like this on a wall? Sure it's a scare tactic, and it is scary, but it's also extremely immature on whomever wrote it's part. Best of luck to catching the crazed offenders.
Posted by: Secure Hosting | January 21, 2011 at 01:06 PM
The investigators should not have posted this video and information, but rather should have waited and watched for the dumbass to show up to change the number of days.
Posted by: Dick Fitzwell | January 21, 2011 at 01:07 PM
Maybe the Grim Reaper himself wrote it. After all, Jerry Brown is pretty old.
I think if anyone serious had written it, they would have gotten the swastika right. Nice try, though.
Posted by: Phil McKann | January 21, 2011 at 01:08 PM
The message was written in ebonic-like speech, "we gonna kill.." and the swaztika is incorrect. No true Hitler follower would make such a mistake. And demographically this does not seem to make sense...
Posted by: mike | January 21, 2011 at 01:11 PM
I think this event isn't worthy of the Daily News writing a story. It was probably teens trying to write something controversial - better call homeland security, they may TP a house next!
Posted by: The Truth | January 21, 2011 at 01:12 PM
I dont understand why people connect the Catholic
Church with only MEXICO when its early beginning
is in LATIN and in ROME and spread throughout EUROPE
then brought over here with the crusaders.
It was underground for ages hidden from roaming
gangs who were threatened by the early christians so
they hid the message underground.
The early crusaders believed that the christian message has
to be preached through out the whole entire world.
It still is being brought into remote areas where no man would
dare to go and the Catholic Church is very brave to go into these
very dark and dangerous areas in the world to preach the gospel.
Now about the GRAFFITI that is so WRONG and needs to be brought
to JUSTICE its just the same as writing a TERRORIST letter only
difference here is that its for ALL THE WORLD TO SEE!!!
Governor Jerry Brown has a very difficult job and its not personal
he has to make cuts and thats all there is to it and California
will have to just get used to it until the budget is WELL AGAIN
right now Californias budget is very ill and needs RECOVERY and
I hope people will all help to make California a better place to live.
Posted by: BLUEWATER | January 21, 2011 at 01:46 PM
This is how ridiculos the law enforcement situation is and how its out of hand not only by law enforcement but the D.A. and the system its self to think about chareging some one with a terrorist threat for graffiti,I belive the law states for it to be a criminal threat person has to make the threat and there has to be some kind of weapon or some thing to carry it out and it has to make the person fearful at that time,in court the judge just requires the arresting officer to state at the prlimanary hereing that it was said and it scared someoneand your goint to trial on a felony.ABSURD
Posted by: badboys | January 21, 2011 at 02:02 PM
Maybe they have a child who needs special education that Brown insists of cutting.
Posted by: morgan anderson | January 21, 2011 at 02:15 PM
Wow i live in Santa Ana right next to the graffiti. Whats so funny is that when i passed by the other morning i laughed because they did not know wtf they were talking about PROPER ENGLISH PLEASE lol. The real funny thing is that channel 7 was here yesterday and channel 4 was there this morning who cares who wrote it. Obviously they don't know how to spell or tag a real symbol lol. To you ass holes who are being racist how about you stop with the theories and live with facts!
FACT they don't know who did this.
FACT you are a bunch of racist pigs!
FACT writing on walls is an art form!
FACT Santa Ana is a culturally diverse area WHITE, ASiAN, BLACK, MEXICAN, PUERTO RICANS, i can keep going its not just a mexican town hell their food is the most tasteful food sometimes.
FACT BABYLON WILL FALL!!!!!
Posted by: Brian | January 21, 2011 at 02:16 PM
Some idiot probably didn't understand "California Uber Alles" all that well. Most likely some idiot little Hot Topic Punk.
Posted by: Juan-Paulo | January 21, 2011 at 02:35 PM
Yes FOX news, it must be a crazy liberal...
Posted by: DK_Lush | January 21, 2011 at 02:43 PM
I have realized that many people, not only in this country, but in the entire world, do not know about the meaning of the swastika and that it was not only the symbol of Nazi Germany.
The swastika is an equilateral cross with arms bent at right angles, all in the same direction, usually the right, or clockwise. The swastika is a symbol of prosperity and good fortune and is widely dispersed in both the ancient and modern world. It originally represented the revolving sun, fire, or life. The word swastika is derived from the Sanskrit swastika which means, "conducive to well- being". The swastika was widely utilized in ancient Mesopotamian coinage as well as appearing in early Christian and Byzantium art, where it was known as the gammadion cross. The swastika also appeared in South and Central America, widely used in Mayan art during that time period.
In North America, the swastika was a symbol used by the Navajos. The swastika still continues today to be an extensively used sign in Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism. In Buddhism, a swastika represents resignation. In Jainism, it delineates their seventh saint, and the four arms are also used to remind the worshiper of the four possible places of rebirth; the animal or plant world, in Hell, on Earth, or in the spirit world. To Hindus, the swastika with the arms bent to the left is called the sathio or sauvastika, which symbolizes night, magic, purity, and the destructive goddess Kali. In both Hinduism and Jainism, the swastika or sathio is used to mark the opening pages or their account books, thresholds, doors, and offerings.
Posted by: Greg | January 21, 2011 at 02:44 PM
The way they drew the swastika just proves that the person responsible just isn't very bright... Wrong way bozo.
Posted by: DK_Lush | January 21, 2011 at 02:45 PM
There are no right wingers in cal. they left a long time ago, so they could watch us swirl down the toilet
Posted by: Greg | January 21, 2011 at 02:48 PM
Not only this we need to make sure that where ever our Gov. is visiting on that day he is well protected. You are in my prayers sr. We need to not let week minder individuals scare or intimidate us. We have the power to defeat , ok.
Posted by: brc | January 21, 2011 at 03:09 PM
it's the illegal aliens ,they don't want brown to take away all their free-bee's to help the state or they will have to leave. O NO DON'T GO HA HA HA .DDEPORT DEPORT DEPORT.
Posted by: RAMS1956 | January 21, 2011 at 03:09 PM
DANGGGGGGG THATS CRAZY. I HOPE THEY GET CAUGHT SOON.
Posted by: LAKERZ4LYFE | January 21, 2011 at 03:17 PM
To the contrary..I think everyone has noticed that the symbol is drawn in the reverse. It's just that these neo-nazi reichtwingers are so ignorant and illiterate they just don't know any better! Once again, the posts here show the right-wing's proclivity for abrogating any responsibility for anything..ever. That, of course, is perfectly consistent with the "greed..first, last and always" philosophy of those for whom they are just cheap shills..their megacorporamafioso masters. Funny how the rabid reicht is always ranting about fiscal responsibility..unless it's a Democrat being fiscally responsible..then they're against it!
Posted by: JSneezewell | January 21, 2011 at 03:29 PM
Christians are the real terrorists of America. They must be removed.
Posted by: R.H. | January 21, 2011 at 03:31 PM
Dear Jerry Brown~
Take this as a hint to eliminate ALL financial handouts to illegal immigrants...you will solve the budget crisis and get the scumbags out of our wonderful state...eliminate the free money,free food, free housing, free education, free medical, free, free, free, free! How come FREE is never for me...oh yeah I have to pay 35% of my income to taxes and the rest to housing, food, education, medical and more!
Posted by: becca | January 21, 2011 at 03:41 PM
As a life long resident of Orange County I can tell you this...the only people living in Santa Ana are illegal alien gang-banging hispanics! The swastika was a nice touch however. Rest assured, the ones responsible for this do not worship the nazis, but rather la raza and mexico....
Posted by: Thomas | January 21, 2011 at 04:13 PM