Teens Arrested For Gang-Related Graffiti In Downtown Petaluma: PD

PETALUMA, CA — Two teen boys were booked into Sonoma County Juvenile Hall this week when they were caught writing gang-related graffiti inside a downtown Petaluma parking garage, the Petaluma Police Department said.

Surveillance cameras from the Keller Street Parking Garage and some other city facilities can be viewed from the Petaluma Police Department Communications Center, and at 8:45 p.m. Monday, a dispatcher was watching the cameras and saw four people writing graffiti in the northwest stairwell of the parking garage, police said.

Officers were dispatched to the parking garage at 114 Keller St. and detained all four suspects.

According to police, two of the suspects — a 15-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy — were seen writing gang-related graffiti and had alcohol and marking pens in their possession. They were also wearing clothes associated with the graffiti, police said.

Both teens were arrested and taken to Juvenile Hall. Their names were disclosed because of their ages.

"Over the past few months, there has been an increase in graffiti in the parking garage," police said. "Extra patrols of the garage and areas known for graffiti incidents are being conducted."

The Petaluma Police Department asked anyone with information relevant to the investigation to contact Officer A. Weldon at 707-778-4372 or aweldon@cityofpetaluma.org.