Los Angeles River as a canvas
Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies pass a tagging of three block letters, “MTA,” which stands for Metro Transit Assassins. The tag is the centerpiece of a roughly two-mile span along the L.A. River east of downtown that is frequented by vandals. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
This is the alleged tagging of “Buket,” or Cyrus Yazdani, who was charged this week on nearly three dozen felony counts of vandalism. Officials say the river was a favorite spot of his. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Sheriff’s Deputies Alberto Zambrano, left, and Devin Vanderlaan check out graffiti along the river. Officials say the cost of cleaning the tagging could reach half a million dollars. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
A sheriff’s patrol vehicle enters an access tunnel under the 6th Street Bridge. Authorities have tried to patrol the area but said catching the taggers has proved difficult. There are escape routes within a fence hop, officials said, and taggers easily vanish into the industrial district and rail yards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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A pedestrian scrambles up the supports for the 4th Street Bridge, where taggers have left their marks. “We can paint today and they’ll be back here tomorrow,” said Roland Gonzales, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “It is a fresh canvas for them....They will be right behind you.” (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
