Tagger falls to death from freeway overpass in Sacramento

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A known tagger who fell to his death at a freeway construction site in Sacramento may have been spray-painting graffiti on a bridge near where his body was found, police said.

A roadside memorial stands where the body of 23-year-old Andrey Petkov was found. He was believed to have fallen Friday night or early Saturday morning. The memorial includes cans of spray paint, flowers, crosses and candles.

Friends say Petkov fell from a freeway overpass 30 to 40 feet above the roadway. There was evidence of recent graffiti activity on the bridge near where his body was found, police told Fox40 in Sacramento.

Petkov was one of four people arrested by Roseville police when the notorious Sacramento Graffiti Killers crew was arrested in 2009, following an undercover operation.

Police at the time said the crew was responsible for $80,000 in damage and 321 cases of graffiti vandalism were cleared in Roseville and Sacramento with their arrest. Friends continued to come by the memorial Monday, although they were told to leave by Caltrans construction crews, who said it was too dangerous because of work being done with heavy equipment overhead.

Neighbors said Petkov was outgoing and friendly and did not fit their image of a graffiti vandal, the TV station reported. Sacramento police officials said they did not know whether anyone else was at the scene during the accident.

They say the Sacramento County coroner’s office has declared it an accident and will investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.

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-- Lonnie Wong, Fox40 in Sacramento