On Monday, Nov. 11, Sebastopol Police were called for a report of vandalism. The suspect had tagged the letters “PEAK” and “KKS” in a public bathroom. The tags were unique in both style and content.
Subsequently, over the next few months, additional victims and witnesses, as well as Sebastopol Police officers, observed many more identical tags mostly on public surfaces throughout the city. The vandalism ranged in method from permanent marker to spray paint to other unknown instruments. In total, nearly 200 separate tags were located that were all believed to have been committed by the same suspect. The total value of the associated property damage was estimated to be thousands of dollars.
As a part of the investigation, Sebastopol Police installed hidden video cameras in public places throughout the city in the hopes of catching the suspect on video. It worked. Investigators used social media, as well as the assistance of local school officials to identify the suspect, a 16-year-old boy.
On Friday, Jan. 24, Sebastopol Police went to the boy’s school and arrested the suspect. During his interview, the suspect admitted to committing the various vandalism tags and even attempted to explain some of their meanings.
He was later booked at the Sonoma County Juvenile Detention facility for felony vandalism. His identity will remain confidential due to his age.
— Sebastopol Police Nixle
