Police Arrest Centralia Teens for Gang-Related Graffiti Spree

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Centralia police arrested two Centralia teenagers who are believed to have been responsible for a graffiti spree that resulted in more than 20 gang-related markings on structures around the city Sunday night, according to police.

Edgar Ramirez-Dado, 18, Centralia, and a 15-year-old Centralia boy were arrested by police after allegedly spray-painting gang-style graffiti on more than 20 businesses and structures before they were caught early Monday morning, according to Centralia police.

Police are still attempting to locate a third suspect.

The case is still under investigation, but police believe the trio might also be involved in the increase in gang-related graffiti that has plagued Centralia since earlier this year, said Sgt. Stacy Denham.

“A lot of the taggings are similar to other (previous) ones,” Denham said.

Ramirez-Dado was booked into the Lewis County Jail and will be charged with felony malicious mischief due to the volume of taggings.

The 15-year-old boy was referred to the prosecutor’s office for a similar charge, according to Centralia police.



Last week, Centralia police arrested two Centralia men, Jeremy M. Barron, 21, and Jalab L. Browning, 18, for malicious mischief charges after they allegedly admitted to spray painting “anti-gang” graffiti over existing markings. Barron and Browning were not believed to have been involved in gangs.

Centralia police saw an increase in the number of instances of gang-related graffiti beginning in December, but escalating after the start of the year, Centralia Police Chief Bob Berg said previously.

Berg said gang members use graffiti for numerous reasons: claiming and marking territory, making challenges or warnings to other gangs, as well as a way to gain notoriety.

If one gang crosses out another gang’s graffiti, it is interpreted as a sign of disrespect, which often leads to retaliation, he said. Retaliation could mean anything from fights to additional graffiti or drive-by shootings, like the ones in the summer of 2007, he said.

“The ongoing problem is that there is a gang trying to assert itself and become known in the community,” he said previously.

Combating graffiti is the first step in cracking down against gang violence, he said.

Centralia police are still offering a cash reward to people who provide information about suspects responsible for graffiti throughout the city in an attempt to crack down on this visible gang-related activity. The reward can be up to $250 for information leading to the arrest.