Arrest imminent in Carson City graffiti tagging

One or more arrests are imminent in the recent graffiti taggings in the area of Musser and Division streets.

A 19-year-old woman has admitted to the taggings, Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong said Friday. They targeted First Presbyterian Church, First United Methodist Church, St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church, cars and homes in the area, business property and state property, according to the Sheriff’s Office incident report.

The area has been a frequent target of graffiti taggers over the past month, Furlong said. As for the suspect, a judge wasn’t available to sign a warrant for her arrest Friday; Furlong said it will be signed early next week. The Nevada Appeal is not naming her because she has not been arrested.

“We didn’t arrest her (initially) because graffiti is a misdemeanor, but the widespread graffiti can rise to the level of the felony,” Furlong said.

Much of the graffiti consisted of vulgar phrases. Anti-religion messages were spray-painted on one of the churches.

According to the incident report:

The Sheriff’s Office received a call from a resident about 1 p.m. Thursday about loud noise in an apartment downstairs the previous day. He suspected the noise might be related to the taggings.

A deputy interviewed a woman who lived in the downstairs apartment and noticed she had paint on her arm. She said the suspect had got drunk and painted her arm the previous night, then went outside with the paint. She added that she didn’t see the suspect tag anything; her live-in boyfriend told deputies the same.

When deputies found the suspect at a casino, she appeared to have red and yellow paint on her fingernails. She reportedly cried and admitted to the taggings.

Nevada’s anti-graffiti laws are among the toughest in the nation. If the damage costs less than $250, the crime is a misdemeanor. If it is more than $250 and less than $5,000, it is a gross misdemeanor, and if it is more than $5,000, it is considered a felony. Punishments range from community service and restitution to driver’s license suspension and jail time.