Pocono News Section

Police Bust Graffiti Vandals

Police Bust Graffiti Vandals - Monday, June 9, 2008 at 4:54PM EST

Reported by: Laurie Monteforte
Monday, Jun 9, 2008 @ 04:54pm EST
ANALOMINK - Police in the Poconos say they've busted the people responsible for a graffiti spree. Over the past two years a group called the Suicide Vandal Squad has caused more than $20,000 worth of damage in Monroe County.

Patty Brink has worked at Penn Hills for more than thirty years. She tries to promote the cozy, country atmosphere. But instead graffiti often greets her guests.

"You want people to come and see that everything is nice and it's beautiful and they come to look at a mess," she said,

Graffiti vandals have hit Penn Hills in Analomink at least ten times over the past year. "Some of it sometimes you can clean it off with some of the graffiti remover. Sometimes it just doesn't work that well," said Brink.

Over the past two years the same group also tagged at least six other places throughout the Poconos. Members call themselves the Suicide Vandal Squad.

Brink said, "They're very talented and it's a shame they don't use those talents for something worthwhile instead of just destroying property. That serves no purpose."

Police got a big break earlier this year when they caught two of the vandals spray painting this bridge in East Stroudsburg. The arrested them and they led to more suspects.

"I hope they're done and it's over with. That would be great," said Brink.

Police picked up two young men at the bridge. One of them had a back pack with spray paint cans and a sketchbook of graffiti drawings. That led officers to arrest another suspected vandal. And put out a warrant for two squad members in New York.

"I"s just too bad they can't find an outlet for it that would do some good," said Brink.

Officers hope to prosecute all Suicide Vandal Squad members and Brink looks forward to a much cleaner future.

She said, "Hopefully we can get new signs put up and they'll stay the way they should be instead of having them ruined e very other week."

Four of the vandals involved are minors so police have not released their names. One of them is an adult. That is 18 year old Eric Lopez of Albrightsville.