Man Receives One-Year Jail Term For Graffiti
Two Other Crimes Net Suspended Sentences
Last updated Friday, October 10, 2008 11:12 PM CDT in News
By Bob Caudle
THE MORNING NEWS
SPRINGDALE -- A Springdale man, Juan Chavez Albarran, 19, of 1041 Brookhaven Court, received a one-year jail sentence Friday after pleading guilty to spray painting graffiti on walls and sidewalks around town.
Springdale District Court Judge Stan Ludwig agreed with Deputy City Prosecutor Amber Roe on the sentence. Albarran entered a guilty plea at the trial.
According to police reports, Albarran spray painted approximately 190 square feet of wall space at Ozark Sash and Door, 216 W. Robinson Ave., on July 22.
Part of the graffiti included a picture of a crown, which police say is a symbol for the Latin Kings, a Chicago Hispanic street gang.
Albarran also admitted to police that he spray painted graffiti at the Civic Center and Brookhaven Courts skate park.
Albarran was also ordered to pay $499 in restitution.
"Our policy is to seek the maximum penalty on all graffiti arrests, which is one year in jail," said Jeff Harper, Springdale's city prosecutor. "The last few that were convicted were put to work cleaning up graffiti, but that's up to the police department."
Sgt. Billy Turnbough, head of the police department's Springdale Nuisance Abatement Partnership team, said his group welcomes the help.
"We'll pull them out of jail and get them to powerwash or paint over graffiti," Turnbough said. "If they've been out painting the town, they should have to clean it up -- whether he did it or not."
Turnbough said primarily prisoners clean up city property. But a homeowner or business owner who has hit by graffiti can call the police department for assistance.
"A person's only got seven days to clean up graffiti or the city can come and take action and actually place a lien on property to recoup the costs," Turnbough said. "We don't want that to happen. We'll go on private property, as long as the property owner signs a release form."
In addition to the graffiti sentence, Ludwig also sentenced Albarran to 120 days in jail, suspended, and ordered him to pay $100 in court costs after Albarran pleaded guilty to third-degree domestic battery.
The suspended sentence stands only if Albarran completes a 26-week domestic abuse counseling at Ozark Guidance Center.
"That sentence is not unusual for a first-offense domestic battery case," Harper said. "But we're always going to ask for a year on graffiti, even if it's the first offense. We do that because graffiti is associated with gangs."
Albarran was also sentenced to an additional 30 days in jail, suspended, fined $100, ordered to pay $100 court costs and forfeit a gun to the court after pleading guilty to carrying a prohibited weapon.
Albarran could have received up to a year in jail on each charge, Harper said.
Reader Comments (13 comment(s))
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mafm wrote on Oct 10, 2008 10:35 PM:
martin wrote on Oct 11, 2008 9:58 AM:
he got one year in jail for graffiti and 120 days in jail SUSPENDED for beating his wife/girlfriend? huh?
heck yea he should get slammed for the graffiti, but is that really "more" serious than a domestic battery?
come on
if it is gang related then why isn't he being charged with gang related offenses?
just askin' "
recross1 wrote on Oct 11, 2008 10:28 AM:
This is obviously mexican gang activity yet the emphises is on the graffitti.Again priorities are backwards.
I am glad they finally got tough on the graffitti but the abuse and gun charges should have been addressed more severely.
He should be required to scrub the graffitti with a toothbrush everyday he is in jail.No preasure washers or wire brushes,toothbrushes and plain water.
The public needs to let the courts know just how sick we are of all these immigrants,legal or not and thier gang affiliations.
Give them pants that fit and a toothbrush and turnem loose,well with a guard to roundem back up when thier done. "
Robb wrote on Oct 12, 2008 9:44 AM:
I just returned from Orange Co., CA on Friday where I used to work and I'm convinced that all is lost. The city of Santa Ana (pop. 375,000) is totally Mexican. The city looks like another country and I felt like a foreigner. Hard to believe it's America. Our federal government has done too little, too late and what I observed there is happening everywhere, all for votes. "
lousaxon wrote on Oct 13, 2008 9:51 AM:
Robb wrote on Oct 14, 2008 10:03 AM:
swampman wrote on Oct 16, 2008 12:00 PM:
adabell wrote on Oct 16, 2008 7:29 PM:
Jones wrote on Oct 17, 2008 9:22 AM:
adabell wrote on Oct 17, 2008 5:32 PM:
If someone needs to refer to trailers and call racist names like rednecks, they are themselves being racist. "
criminal j wrote on Oct 18, 2008 10:24 AM:
Not already registered?
ozarks wrote on Oct 10, 2008 10:11 PM: