Foxreno.com reports that a prolific Bay Area tagger known by the moniker “Girafa” was arrested in San Jose.
Steven Free, 30, was arrested after police from San Jose and San Francisco searched his home on Cabrillo Street in the Outer Richmond.
An investigation by the San Jose police graffiti enforcement unit linked Free to 10 felony cases of tagging in the city, according to Officer Jermaine Thomas. Each one features a cartoon depiction of a giraffe and a tagging moniker of “Girafa.” Police estimate those 10 acts of vandalism cost a combined $40,000 in damage.
While investigating the taggings, San Jose police found pictures of similar Girafa graffiti on social networking sites. Officers said Free has committed vandalism acts in San Francisco, Alameda and Contra Costa counties, as well as other locations in Santa Clara County.
Clearly this tagger had bigger fish to fry than just the walls of the Richmond District, but let’s hope his arrest helps reduce graffiti in our neighborhood too. See more of the damage caused by this tagger.
Sarah B.
To be honest, those drawings probably improved a lot of the places where they were painted, displacing the boring common tags. He was obviously not the problem. The problem is people who tag buses and windows with ugly pointless scribbles. The giraffes may not be great art, but they’re definitely art.
We’ll have to agree to disagree on this one. I guess because I’ve had to scrub and scrub graffiti off my property I have no tolerance for these so-called “artists” that feel it’s ok to deface someone else’s property. In the end, they aren’t hit with the costs that property owners, including small business owners, are ultimately saddled with from this problem.
I get the thrill of it, I understand the personal expression side, yada yada yada. But save your art for people who want it or who at least are allowing you to do it. Otherwise find another outlet or use materials that are not as harmful. It’s not cool in my book, no matter whether it’s pesky one-color tags or elaborate pictures of wildlife.
SFist commenters are having a spirited debate on his arrest: http://sfist.com/2009/10/30/police_arrest_graffiti_artist_giraf.php
Wow….he is talented. Albeit likely misplaced….
No matter how talented and creative the artist, if you don’t have permission and you are doing this to others’ property, it is not respectful and it is a crime. Personally, I like his art, but that does not make it right.