Judge Issues Permanent Gang Injunction Against Notorious Tagging Crew Active in North Hollywood

A judge issued a permanent injunction on Wednesday against the Metro Transit Assassins, which was dubbed by the City Attorney's Office one of Los Angeles' most prolific and destructive tagging crews.

The order approved by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Deidre Hill allows the city to prosecute violations of the tagger injunction on any additional or future members of the MTA crew identified by law enforcement.

Wednesday's ruling also implemented settlements with eight defendants named in the injunction, entered defaults against two more defendants and dismissed a final defendant who was deported, according to the City Attorney's Office.

Under the settlements, gang members may not associate with other members of MTA in public, possess graffiti tools or violate a curfew.

In addition, the members would be liable for money damages and civil penalties.

The notorious tagging crew is known to be active in the North Hollywood area and other parts of the city and is believed to have caused millions of dollars in damage, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.

The city agreed to suspend enforcement of the monetary judgment against the defendants if they do not commit more graffiti vandalism. The City Attorney's Office will dismiss the case against any defendant who is not convicted of any graffiti-related offense within five years of his last graffiti conviction.

The settlement also requires each settling defendant to pay in full all court-ordered restitution for past graffiti damage, submit to an informational interview with law enforcement to enhance police efforts to investigate and prosecute graffiti vandals and perform 100 hours of graffiti removal, according to the City Attorney's Office.

Each defendant must also state that he is no longer a graffiti vandal. Three of the settling defendants have completed all terms of the settlement and have been dismissed, according to the City Attorney's Office.