Update: Tagger Suspect Released to Mother: ‘Boston’ Graffiti Began Appearing in July

“Boston” the tagger may be done.

La Mesa police said a 17-year-old boy—a La Mesa resident—was arrested Thursday on a felony charge of vandalism. 

“Detectives executed a search warrant in the 7100 block of Waite Drive after a several week-long investigation into numerous graffiti taggings throughout the city of La Mesa,” said police Lt. Dan Willis. 

The boy (whose name was not released because he is a minor) was released to his mother after processing at the station, Willis said.

Someone began tagging the word “Boston” throughout La Mesa in early July, Willis said. 

“Since that time, the suspect vandalized property on 71 different occasions, causing damage estimated to be at $8,000,” he said.

Willis said the investigation was significantly helped through the utilization of —a web-based computer database designed to assist investigators in identifying, tracking, prosecuting and seeking restitution from graffiti vandals. (See site here.)

La Mesa police have been using the Graffiti Tracker system since February  2011, he said. 

“The system works by photographing and downloading graffiti into the database, which automatically links and categorizes the graffiti,” Willis said.  “The database is available for all police agencies contracted to access it, and it allows investigators to link acts of vandalism to a potential suspect throughout the county.”