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News

2 'Prolific' Taggers Arrested in Raids Yesterday

By  Lindsay William-Ross
Published Jan 13, 2011 11:00 PM
dtla-taggers-arrested.jpg
Tags at 117 Winston Street in Downtown (Courtesy LAPD)
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The Los Angeles Police Department have announced the apprehension of two "well-known, prolific taggers," following a series of morning raids conducted yesterday in Norwalk, South Gate, and Long Beach. Known for their "ALDOE" and "RUSIA" tags, Aldo and Francisco Montoya are part of a larger tagging crew called On the Run, or OTR.The Montoya brothers' tags are likely familiar to those who spend time in Downtown. Lt. Paul Vernon of the LAPD’s Central Police Station says: “We believe that these vandals have cost the public and businesses thousands of dollars.” An estimate for repairs to a 710 rail trestle tagged with "RUSIA" is $25,00, which factors in the cost of shutting down the freeway and train crossing during the repairs.

Detectives found hundreds of pieces of tagging evidence during the arrests of the brothers, as well as "several hundred Ecstasy pills and high-grade marijuana."

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