Teen arrested for allegedly vandalizing police memorial

DOWNEY - Police arrested a 17-year-old Downey High School student for allegedly writing graffiti on a concrete bench that surrounds the fallen officer memorial in front of the Downey Police Department, authorities have announced.The boy allegedly admitted to the vandalism, which he did while on a tour of the police station earlier this year. Police officers discovered the graffiti on Feb. 2 and linked it to a local tagging crew. Gang detectives Jason Klevos and Rolando Renteria investigated the tagging crew and identified a possible suspect, who has had "prior contact" with police. Detectives contacted the boy at school, where he confessed, police said. The boy, a resident of Los Angeles, was released to the custody of his parents pending a court date. The police memorial was installed last September as a tribute to Downey police officer Wayne Presley, who was killed by a drunk driver in 1981.

********** Published: March 29, 2012 - Volume 10 - Issue 50