Saline teen confesses to spray-painting 7 buildings
Some of the "Wack" graffiti that has popped up in Saline lately. Police recently arrested a teen who confessed to spray-painting the tag in several places around town.
Courtesy of Saline police
A Saline teen was caught red-handed with spray-paint cans as he was tagging a building April 15, the Saline Reporter reports.
Police found the 17-year-old around 10:40 p.m. tagging a building at 1335 E. Michigan Ave, the former Country Market, according to the newspaper. He admitted to police he had recently taken up spray-painting and is responsible for seven recent graffiti incidents in Saline.
"His tagline, Wack, was present in most of these cases, as well as the word 'sorry' in at least one case," according to the article.
"The violators don't understand the amount of destruction that's actually being done," Saline police Det. Don Lupi told AnnArbor.com in an email. "We will not tolerate this behavior and we will aggressively investigate and prosecute people involved. This causes destruction and also litters our city."
Read the story at the Saline Reporter.
Comments
music to my ear
Mon, Apr 29, 2013 : 2:52 p.m.
yes thats wacked.
michigander007
Sun, Apr 28, 2013 : 4:22 p.m.
I know this kid haha swag
Greg
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 2:58 p.m.
For those who think this is no big deal. Let us know your address and let us publish it as a "safe" place to do graffiti. Might think about it a little more if it was your property.
An Arborigine
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 2:22 p.m.
This kid is an artist considering he was using black paint while red-handed.
Camel
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 5:21 a.m.
The kid already went to most of the places and cleaned the graffiti. And painted over them too. He's gonna get his punishment, but the effort counts.
JS
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 3:22 a.m.
Good lord. Wow, teenage kid spray-paints seven buildings. Yea, sucks that it costs sandblasting money to get that intensive and "well-planned" tag off the walls.(Yea like $35). Find the child and give him a spot to tag creatively. Nothing better to worry about compared to the rest of the world I assume? (btw don't respond to my post unless you're intelligent). I strongly recommend that you all crucify this KID because of whatever your community may have helped to instigate via the absolute boringness that is Midwestern America.
mady
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 6:04 p.m.
Incidentally, have you noticed how many of us "rubes" are voting you down? Good Lord!
mady
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 3:50 p.m.
I am intelligent. your snobbery of all things Midwestern America is offensive to me. if it is so intolerably boring, LEAVE. or is this too unoriginal for you?
Concerned Neighbor
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 12:04 p.m.
Here is an intelligent comment.....move
ArthGuinness
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 10:42 a.m.
Where do you get your estimate of $35? I'm sure a lot of building owners around Ann Arbor would like to know how to get it looking like new for that amount of money. Don't forget labor.
Camel
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 5:22 a.m.
I'm intelligent and I agree with you sir.
Tom
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 3:36 a.m.
JS, codling idiots like this is why kids have lost respect for personal property and most likely other people who have poured their heart and soul into their businesses. This 'child' is no longer a child and should have learned by now the difference between right and wrong. But of course, in this progressive society, we aren't allowed to make moral judgments or we might damage the youth's self-esteem.
Paul
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 11:37 p.m.
Can we see a picture of the entire building ? It looks like its been many years since the building got painted, what shape was it in ? Was that white pain on the walls--hard to tell. Not making excuses for his poor judgment but sometimes the graffiti paint is the brightest paint on the buildings. Maybe that is why I think it can be colorful that graffiti, often times its done on worn out buildings that have not been painted in many years.
Usual Suspect
Sun, Apr 28, 2013 : 5:52 p.m.
Judging from your comments, I have to assume you're also a graffiti vandal. You're certainly not a property owner. Who should decide what paint will be applied to a building - the owner, or some punk?
Paul
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 11:27 p.m.
Gee, I thought it look kind of cool, some of the stuff can be pretty neat. Brightens up the buildings-overpasses.
cinnabar7071
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 10:44 p.m.
A caning and some restitution should get the taste for graffiti out of his mouth.
Westfringe
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 10:33 p.m.
Charge his parents.
lefty48197
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 10:17 p.m.
About 90 days in jail should get the confessed vandal's attention. A slap on the wrist won't.
John Counts
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 9:28 p.m.
SurlyCommenter: There are two reasons why the suspect's name isn't used. First off, the rest of the Saline Reporter story we linked to here goes on to day that he hasn't been officially charged -- or arraigned -- yet. We only publish names after arraignment. But we still wouldn't in this case because the suspect is a juvenile. We only publish a juvenile's name if they are charged as an adult.
SurlyCommenter
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 9:11 p.m.
Why not publish this criminal's name? Perhaps some public shaming will teach him a lesson he sorely needs to learn.
mady
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 3:42 p.m.
Yes, and his picture also!
Hugh Giariola
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 8:08 p.m.
Does he get the reward $ since he turned himself in?
Hugh Giariola
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 12:34 p.m.
Thanks John, I was actually thinking of the reward for the AA spray paint vandalism.
John Counts
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 8:21 p.m.
Hi Hugh Giariola: He didn't turn himself in. He was caught by police.
Z-man
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 7:21 p.m.
Is the word "vandalism" no longer in our vocabulary? Neither the article nor any comments thus far have mentioned it, which to me is an apt description of what we're dealing with here.
arborani
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 3:12 p.m.
No, it's more like Visigoths.
a2citizen
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 12:33 a.m.
It's kind of like "undocumented alien".
John of Saline
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 7:30 p.m.
It's offensive to Vandals.
Dante
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 7:10 p.m.
Yes what he did is wrong Does not make him a thug. Maybe he should take up some sort of art class. The tag is not that bad. Just change his canvas and maybe he migty have a future. To may uptight people on here.
Usual Suspect
Sun, Apr 28, 2013 : 5:49 p.m.
I would, too, Paul. However, if he continues to commit crimes of vandalism, HE will be choosing the jail cell.
Paul
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 11:32 p.m.
I rather pay for his art classes then a jail cell. In the long run its cheaper and more beneficial
Paul
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 11:31 p.m.
True, he could become a famous artist if given the chance.
lefty48197
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 10:19 p.m.
Let him paint the inside of prison cells. He did confess....
Doug
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 8:53 p.m.
And pay for the class, right?
Usual Suspect
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 8:53 p.m.
So, Dante, you don't consider damage to other people's property to be a problem? To be concerned with vandalism is to be "uptight?"
Dave Koziol
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 7:53 p.m.
I suspect if your house or business were tagged, and you were required to spend time removing it, or $ removing it you might feel different...
sesomai
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 7:05 p.m.
Hey Saline police - can you come catch the taggers in Ann Arbor, too? Please?
Momma G
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 6:53 p.m.
Give him the cleaning chemicals and put him to work - bet he won't be "into" spray painting much longer. If he can get them clean, let him pay for the cleaning or better yet get his momma & daddy to pay for it since they obviously don't know what their son is doing.
Camel
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 11:48 p.m.
The kid already cleaned his graffiti up an a few others In town
Fat Bill
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 4:11 p.m.
Even better, if he did a god job cleaning it up, he can clean up other tagger's messes as part of his community service. Now he has a skill and some experience, perhaps he can turn it into a cleaning job. Not every 17-year old who displays deviant behavior needs to be locked up.
Homeland Conspiracy
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 6:59 p.m.
Mom & Dad need to be right beside him helping him clean
djacks24
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 6:24 p.m.
Little Saline boy wants to act like an inner city thug? I say drop him in the hood and see if he even lasts a day before he's begging for Mommy.
music to my ear
Mon, Apr 29, 2013 : 2:52 p.m.
it is a art and some who tag are really gifted artist. and there are all walks of life in saline. could it just be kids being kids.
Camel
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 5:25 a.m.
Paul knows what's up, first of all djacks, you sound like you don't know anything, graffiti isn't about being hood, or trying I be tough, it's more of an art theese days. Yeah it's vandalism in this case, but still, your comment just sounds dumb. Give the kid a break he's probably learned his lesson after being in cuffs.
Paul
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 11:29 p.m.
What if it doesn't but just toughens him up even more so ? I don't see good results from the US justice system. We lock up the highest % of the people, yet still have major problems with crime in the USA.
Ricebrnr
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 5:34 p.m.
give him a toothbrush, soap and water. Time to get to work...
mady
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 3:37 p.m.
Yes, HIS OWN toothbrush.
Doug
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 8:52 p.m.
That would be the best punishment!
Murf
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 5:15 p.m.
I must be old. I thought that read 'Wask'.
fjord
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 7:19 p.m.
Do they even teach penmanship any more?
Newmarket
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 6:56 p.m.
I must be older than you, Murfreesboro, because I couldn't figure out what the heck the letters were!
Usual Suspect
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 5:17 p.m.
Apparently he needs to a few wacks out behind the woodshed.
Usual Suspect
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 5:06 p.m.
"The violators don't understand the amount of destruction that's actually being done" I think they do understand, and they either simply don't care or they are intending to cause financial damage. Yet another case of parenting deficit.
Camel
Sat, Apr 27, 2013 : 7:40 a.m.
Goober, he already went and cleaned all of them up, he hasn't been charged yet. E did it on his own
Goober
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 6:56 p.m.
I agree, Usual. Parenting deficit. Yes - the writing is on the wall. Pun intended, and accurate. Hope his penalty covers cleaning up everything he painted and marked.
Usual Suspect
Fri, Apr 26, 2013 : 6:45 p.m.
The writing is on the wall. Pun intended.