An 18-year-old man arrested for allegedly tagging at San Francisco’s Mission Dolores Park and the surrounding neighborhoods with graffiti is facing 29 counts of vandalism.
Today, San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon filed 10 felony counts of vandalism, 19 misdemeanor counts of vandalism, and one misdemeanor count for possessing graffiti tools against vandalism suspect Andrew Yarborough, according to district attorney’s office spokesman Max Szabo.
Yarborough, a San Francisco resident, was arrested on Thursday after his specific graffiti tag was identified not only at the construction site at Dolores Park, but also on garbage cans, walls, sidewalks and garages around the neighborhood, according to San Francisco police spokesman Officer Albie Esparza.
According to the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department spokeswoman Connie Chan, the 2008 Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond funded the $20 million renovation of Dolores Park.
The renovations and upgrades on the northern side of the park began in March 2014 and the park was scheduled to reopen next month.
Chan said, however, that due to vandalism at the construction site in mid-February, amounting to more than $100,000 in damage, the park remains closed until repairs are completed.
Esparza said Yarborough was arrested only in connection with graffiti, not the other acts of vandalism committed against the construction site in recent months.
Rec and Parks crews also had to empty the sandbox in the park’s Helen Diller Playground after vandals smashed beer bottles against its concrete walls on Feb. 19.
Hannah Albarazi, Bay City News
