Gang Crime Arrests Made In Downtown Santa Rosa Tagging

SANTA ROSA, CA — Two arrests were recently made in connection with graffiti tags found throughout a privately owned downtown Santa Rosa parking structure.

The tags —which are artworks and monikers written in spray paint, markers or other materials — were found at 10:45 p.m. Dec. 30 by a Special Enforcement Team officer who was doing proactive patrols in the Downtown Santa Rosa core. The officer noticed numerous tags of graffiti throughout a privately owned parking structure.

Based on the nature of the tags —artworks and monikers written in spray paint, markers or other materials — the officer believed the graffiti was gang-related and identified the specific criminal street gang associated with the tags.

The officer then contacted a detective with the recently reinstated SRPD Gang Crimes Investigations Team about the blight found at the parking structure and surrounding area.

Gang Crimes Team detectives secured security camera footage from the Santa Rosa Plaza. As the investigation continued, one of the detectives identified Ricardo Reynoso Hernandez, a 21-year-old Santa Rosa resident, and Pedro Rodriguez, an 18-year-old Santa Rosa resident, as the two suspects responsible for the vandalism.

The detective was familiar with both suspects from prior contacts and arrests and was able to positively identify them in the security camera video provided by the Santa Rosa Plaza security team, Santa Rosa police Sgt. Patricia Seffens said.

"Gang participants will often tag public places with graffiti to mark territory and challenge rival gangs," Seffens said. "Gang graffiti is also used to instill fear in the community so the gang may maintain control over a neighborhood. Based on the detective’s investigation, it is believed the suspects worked in concert to vandalize multiple areas in the downtown area for the betterment and furtherance of their gang."

Damage repairs were estimated to be approximately $2,000.

On Jan. 2, detectives arrested Reynoso Hernandez.

Rodriguez was arrested Jan. 8.

Both suspects were booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of felony vandalism with sentence-enhancing gang crimes.

Police said Santa Rosa residents can download the MySantaRosa app for iOS and android to report neighborhood issues such as graffiti. Specific locations and photos can be uploaded directly from a resident's mobile device.