Graffiti Taggers Caught Red-Handed In Sonora

Photo taken by: Tracey Petersen

Sonora, CA – Several people were arrested after being caught vandalizing an empty building in Sonora, and police did not have to look far to find evidence linking four of them to the crime.

Officers were dispatched recently to the building, pictured in the image box, after a caller reported five subjects spray painting the building. The empty building is behind the am/pm gas stations on Pesce Way, off Highway 49. Once on the scene, they detained the suspects after finding several cans of spray paint and the odor of fresh spray paint inside the building. But what caught the officers’ attention was that four out of the five suspects had dried spray paint on their hands.

The building was tagged with graffiti painted inside and out. Police tell Clarke Broadcasting this is “consistent with several other cases that are currently being investigated by our agency.” Those locations and details were not disclosed. Officers arrested 20-year-old Chase Berard-Lohr of San Andreas, 18-year-old Sonny Lohr, and 20-year-old Victoria Woodman, both from Angels Camp and Ayden Canfield (no address given), for felony vandalism and conspiracy to commit a crime. Woodman faces the added charge of being a minor in possession of alcohol.  A citation for conspiracy was issued to 20-year-old Jonathon Rios, who was released from the scene.