A 27-year-old Piru man, who had been released from jail for graffiti vandalism, was arrested again for spraying painting graffiti on buildings and businesses in the city of Fillmore and the neighboring area, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department said Wednesday.
Cristian Guerra was first arrested in May along with another man, Brandon Rodriguez, when community members in Fillmore reported the two men committing the graffiti vandalism.
They were initially booked at the Ventura County Main Jail but later released on their “own recognizance” ahead of court proceedings. The court eventually postponed Guerra’s prosecution for 12 months while Guerra was expected to obey local and federal laws. And his charges were supposed to be dismissed at the end of the period of diversion.
But just three months later, deputies located more graffiti linked to Guerra based on the moniker he used to identify himself without using his real name.
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When investigators searched Guerra’s home on Marina Circle, they found additional evidence related to the vandalisms as well as controlled substances, the sheriff’s department said.
“Graffiti vandalism is an eyesore that directly affects the quality of life in our communities,” the department said in a statement, adding business owners and taxpayers spend tens of thousands of dollars each year in graffiti removal. “Graffiti may also be the catalyst for additional, more serious crimes affecting our communities.”
Guerra was held in the Ventura County Main Jail on $10,000 bail.
