Park Service Plans To “Throw The Book”At Vandals

Two Southern California youths with ties to a Riverside gang are in a lot of trouble after allegedly going on a graffiti spree in Yosemite National Park.

Nineteen-year-old Michael Trevino is charged with 43 counts of vandalism for an alleged graffiti spree during Memorial Day weekend that caused thousands of dollars in damage. He´s been released on a five thousand dollar bond, but will appear June 25th before a U.S. magistrate in the park.

Trevino and a second alleged gang member, a 17-year-old whose name was not released, are accused of spraying red and blue paint at the Ahwahnee Hotel and two campgrounds.

Authorities say the two have confessed to the vandalism. Officials say most of the graffiti has been erased – but some of the marks will be around for years because of where it was sprayed.

The National Park Service says it plans to throw the book at the two. Some of the 43 tags were as high as 11 feet tall and featured the Riverside area code and other gang marks.

Investigators found the pair with the help of Riverside police.