An LA DWP employee vandalism case has shocked the city after a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power staff member and three accomplices were charged in connection with a massive, year-long graffiti spree causing $170,000 in damages across downtown LA.
The Los Angeles Times reported that 38-year-old LADWP electrical mechanic Javier Rezendez Rocha was among four individuals indicted on multiple felony vandalism counts on the 15th. Law enforcement records indicate Rocha has been employed by the utility agency since 2018.
According to investigators, the suspects targeted building exteriors throughout downtown Los Angeles with spray paint between August of last year and August of this year. The vandals reportedly utilized specialized climbing gear to scale tall structures and drones to document their illegal operations.
Prosecutors allege the group published their vandalism videos on social media and sold related merchandise to generate illicit profits. City-owned equipment was also allegedly misused during the commission of the crimes.
The vandalism impacted a total of 12 locations, including 11 sites in downtown and nearby areas alongside one in the Mid-Wilshire district. Notably, historic and architectural landmarks such as the Cameo Theatre and the Roxy Theatre were among the properties defaced.
LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman issued a stern statement condemning the actions, noting that the suspects turned historic and commercial buildings into their personal billboards while shifting over $170,000 in repair burdens onto property owners. He emphasized that the acts constituted criminal behavior driven by financial gain and social media clout rather than artistic expression.
The alleged mastermind, Rocha, faces a leading 12 felony vandalism counts. Co-defendants Michael Ray Gonzalez of Pico Rivera, Francisco Rodriguez Aguilar of West Covina, and Richard Evan Ward II of Oceanside were charged with seven, two, and two identical felony counts, respectively.
