The County of Los Angeles announced Oct. 15 that an LADWP employee and three others were charged in a yearlong graffiti vandalism spree that produced $172,930 in documented repair costs, the county said.
The county identified Javier Rezendez Rocha as an LADWP electrical craft helper since 2018 and said he is charged with 12 felony counts of vandalism in case 26CJCF06480; Rocha is set for arraignment Oct. 23 in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. Michael Ray Gonzales is charged with seven felony counts and will be arraigned at a later date, the county said. Francisco Rodriguez Aguilar and Richard Evan Ward II are each charged with two felony counts; Rodriguez Aguilar is set for arraignment Oct. 19 and Ward pleaded not guilty Oct. 12 and has a preliminary hearing setting for Nov. 19, the release said.
The county said that from August 2025 to August 2026 the defendants allegedly climbed ladders, rappelled to building tops, spray-painted graffiti down the sides of mostly tall buildings, used drones to capture footage and generated profits through merchandise sales; the county said the vandalism included damage to several historically significant structures. The county calculated repair costs at $172,930.
Los Angeles County District Attorney said, “As charged in the criminal complaint, these defendants turned buildings across Los Angeles into their personal billboards, leaving property owners with over $170,000 in repair costs. Their alleged motive: not artistic expression but money and social media eyeballs. They are accused of going to extraordinary lengths to commit these crimes, using climbing equipment and drones to record their vandalism then allegedly profiting from it. Even more troubling, one defendant is a public utility employee who allegedly used climbing equipment to reach the locations to damage buildings, several of which are significant to the historical and architectural fabric of Los Angeles. This was not harmless graffiti, and these are not victimless crimes as they destroy the quality of life in our community. To anyone thinking about vandalizing property, Los Angeles County is not yours to deface. You cannot go around destroying property and expect to get away with it. We will find you and prosecute you and ask the Court as part of your punishment to require you to personally remove graffiti throughout our county.”
Los Angeles Police Chief said, “These individuals allegedly targeted some of our city’s most iconic buildings and public spaces, causing nearly $175,000 in documented damages. Graffiti is not a victimless crime. It impacts businesses, property owners, taxpayers, and our entire community. Let this serve as a clear message: If you deface our city, we will investigate you, identify you and hold you accountable.”
The release said Rocha faces a maximum sentence of 10 years and four months in county jail if convicted as charged; Gonzales faces up to seven years, and Rodriguez Aguilar and Ward each face up to three years and eight months. The county said the case was filed Oct. 8 and is being prosecuted by the Central Trials Division and investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department.
The charges in this case are allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law, the release said.
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Nathan J. Hochman
District Attorney of Los Angeles County
Named once in this story.
Portrait: Los Angeles County District Attorney / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
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Jim McDonnell
Chief of Police
Named once in this story.
Portrait: Los Angeles Police Department / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
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