
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, June 21, 1994                    TAG: 9406210360 
SECTION: LOCAL                     PAGE: B1    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY PATRICIA HUANG, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: 940621                                 LENGTH: VIRGINIA BEACH

FOES OF GRAFFITI LOCK UP SUSPECTS, CLEAN UP BEACH

{LEAD} They were known mainly by their tags, ``Solo'' and ``Virgo,'' and just a few months ago, you could find their mark all over fences, walls and traffic signs around town.

But now, the city's two notorious graffiti suspects may have only jail-cell walls for canvases.

{REST} Since the recent arrests of two Virginia Beach men, Michael McCann, 18, and Teodoro L. Lucero, 20, incidents of graffiti vandalism in the city have dramatically decreased, Virginia Beach officer Byron B. Knight said. But city officials aren't counting on the arrests alone to curb the vandalism.

Other deterrents, including a graffiti hot line, will be launched next month to bolster an anti-graffiti pilot program.

``The first thing we want to do is remove the graffiti as quickly as possible to eliminate the advertisement and recognition,'' said Sgt. Greg Mullen, a member of the city's Reside With Pride Codes subcommittee. Officials also hope to get more residents to look out for graffiti. ``People don't report it or don't care about it until it hits home,'' Mullen said.

Virginia Beach suffers from only occasional flurries of graffiti vandalism, police said, and the problem is at a ``controllable level.'' But that's exactly why the city is taking a more aggressive stance now, said Andy Friedman, the city's director of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation.

The words ``Free Solo,'' scrawled on a wall of a Virginia Beach public restroom, still pay tribute to McCann, who was arrested in late January and charged with two counts of property destruction. Lucero, who was arrested this month, is being held at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center without bond on five counts of destruction of private property.

Both men are accused of defacing wooden fences, utility equipment, bridges and overpasses along Princess Anne and Indian River roads, and Lynnhaven Parkway.

The outbreak of outlaw artists in November and December infuriated suburban and business property owners, mostly in the Kempsville and Lynnhaven areas. Neighborhood graffiti-buster groups formed, and City Council members considered anti-graffiti measures.

``The kids don't see it as something serious. They look at it as a fad,'' Knight said. ``But when these guys were nailed and the word got out, the kids knew. There was a dramatic decrease in incidents because I think everybody saw the repercussions.''

Lucero's interest in graffiti was influenced by many West Coast magazines, said Knight, who handles most of the Beach's graffiti cases. ``Lucero said he was fascinated by the West Coast style, the dress, the painting,'' Knight said. ``The kid is a great artist. He has talent, raw talent. He is great.''

But he also could face up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine. Offenders who cause more than $1,000 in damage are charged with a Class 6 felony and face up to five years in jail and $2,500 in fines. Typically, most offenders in Virginia Beach serve some type of community service.

Police said they hope to begin classifying graffiti in a separate criminal category to keep better data on it. Both community and police patrols have been stepped up to watch out for the costly vandalism and city officials are still researching methods that other, more graffiti-ridden cities have taken against the crime.

At a Reside With Pride subcommittee meeting last week, Chairwoman Elsie Barnes and others recounted their efforts. ``I think we've dismissed the idea of caning graffiti artists,'' she said, chuckling. ``Although. . . ''

by CNB