West Coast graffiti concerns downtown resident

Saturday, Sept. 9

Wisk-y business

9:11 a.m., 300 block of South Orange Avenue

Criminal mischief: Recurring graffiti on a vacant building was a cause of concern for a nearby resident who called law enforcement. The complainant said he has noticed an increase of incidents of the word “wisk” being painted on empty buildings and was concerned it was only a matter of time before the perpetrator begins tagging occupied property.

He stated the graffiti was recently painted over by city code compliance workers and within the previous 24 hours it reappeared. The officer researched the graffiti and found it was a common tag attributed to a graffiti artist who went by the name Wisk in the Los Angeles area. The officer photographed the graffiti and submitted the photos as evidence.

Monday, Sept. 11

Overzealous pruning

5:30 p.m., 3700 block of Colorado Street

Civil dispute: The complainant called law enforcement because a neighbor trimmed his tree “too much.” The tree owner said he was OK with the neighbor  trimming branches hanging over the fence separating the properties, but that he cut three branches farther into his own lot. 

The neighbor refused to speak with the officer, and the complainant was advised that the situation was a civil matter and would need to be addressed in court. 

Tuesday, Sept. 12

Long-term parking

3:30 p.m., Roosevelt Drive and Ben Franklin Drive

Suspicious incident: City parking enforcement called an officer to the scene because of a car parked on the street since Hurricane Idalia that appeared abandoned. The parking enforcement officer speculated the vehicle was water damaged from flooding and rendered inoperable. The officer ran the plate and discovered the owner lived in a condominium across the street. 

He initiated a welfare check and, although nobody answered the door, a blind was open to one window. Peering inside, the officer noted the condo was neat and orderly and no foul odors were present. 

There was no contact information listed for the car owner, nor any way to determine his whereabouts. The property manager also had no contact information, although she did have an address for the man in Massachusetts based on a driver's license on record.

The officer determined the car was illegally parked and not abandoned, and it is believed the owner is a part-time resident or is out of town at this time.

Workplace tussle

10:40 p.m. 2200 block of Sixth Street

Disturbance: An officer was dispatched to a business where the complainant reported being assaulted by a coworker. The officer was advised that approximately 15 minutes prior to arrival the complainant said a fellow employee was making fun of him at work, and when he approached him about the situation was shoved against the wall and threatened with physical violence. 

The accused told the officer he was at his workstation when the complainant confronted him, called him a derogatory name and dared him several times to punch him. He said he then pushed the complainant away to avoid the confrontation. Both parties said no one else was present when the incident occurred, and neither of them had injuries.

The officer located a security camera above the workstation where the incident occurred. However, the employee in charge of the camera system could not access the video. The employee provided his email address, and the officer sent a request his email to send the video footage when available for further investigation.