Livermore gang graffiti battle: Teen charged with a felony for tagging over rival gang’s tags, police say

LIVERMORE — Alameda County prosecutors have charged a 19-year-old Livermore man with a felony as part of a tagging war between rival gangs, according to court records.

The suspect was charged with felony vandalism on a single count after allegedly spray painting a Leahy Square apartment building in June. According to authorities, the teen was known to police as a suspected member of a Northern California-based gang.

Rival gangs operating around Leahy Square, according to police, had been tagging over each other on the same apartment building. Surveillance video showed the teen spray painting over a rival gang tag while several others stood guard.

According to police, the teen stared directly into a surveillance camera, making it easy to identify him. According to authorities, Livermore police know him from previous contacts in unrelated gang investigations. The adolescent was arrested on July 20 but has since been released. According to court records, he pleaded not guilty on August 4.

Despite the fact that police identified the graffiti as gang-related, the teen faces no enhancements on the grounds that the crime was committed to benefit a gang.