A gang of alleged graffiti vandals turned Los Angeles buildings into their personal spray-painted billboards, racking up nearly $173,000 in damage — and one of the accused is a city utility worker who prosecutors say helped carry out the yearlong rampage.
Javier Rezendez Rocha, an electrical craft helper for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power since 2018, is facing 12 felony counts of vandalism over the alleged spree, which prosecutors say ran from August 2025 through August 2026.
Rocha, who has a base annual salary ranging from $75,335 to $102,249, allegedly utilized his specialized utility gear and climbing ropes to help the crew scale the buildings.
The alleged crew didn’t just scrawl graffiti at street level. Prosecutors say the defendants used ladders and specialized climbing equipment to scale tall buildings, spray-paint their exteriors and deploy drones to capture footage of their handiwork.
They allegedly turned around and profited by selling merchandise associated with their graffiti.
The damage bill came to a staggering $172,930, with some of the targeted buildings considered historically significant.
“These defendants turned buildings across Los Angeles into their personal billboards, leaving property owners with over $170,000 in repair costs,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said.
Hochman blasted the alleged scheme as a money-making operation and warned that prosecutors would push for offenders to clean up graffiti themselves as part of their punishment.
“This was not harmless graffiti, and these are not victimless crimes as they destroy the quality of life in our community,” Hochman said. “To anyone thinking about vandalizing property, Los Angeles County is not yours to deface.”
The three other defendants are Michael Ray Gonzales of Pico Rivera, who faces seven felony counts, and Francisco Rodriguez Aguilar of West Covina and Richard Evan Ward II of Oceanside, who each face two.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the alleged vandalism struck businesses, property owners, taxpayers and the wider community, with some of the city’s most iconic buildings and public spaces allegedly in the crosshairs.
“Let this serve as a clear message: If you deface our city, we will investigate you, identify you and hold you accountable,” McDonnell said.
The case was filed Oct. 8. Ward pleaded not guilty Oct. 12 and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing setting Nov. 19. Rodriguez Aguilar is due for arraignment Oct. 19, while Rocha is scheduled to appear Oct. 23.
Gonzales will be arraigned later. Those already arraigned were released on their own recognizance.
If convicted as charged, Rocha faces up to 10 years and four months in county jail.
Gonzales faces up to seven years, while Rodriguez Aguilar and Ward each face up to three years and eight months.
