Grafitti had gang roots, police say

Four area youths have been arrested in connection with incidents of graffiti reported last month. The incidents were determined to be gang-related, according to Sparta Police Department Officer W.D. Everett.

Arrested were 19-year-old Jason Allen White of Fraser Road in Sparta, 17-year-old Scotlyn Antwan Hampton of Mount Airy (formerly of Sparta) and 17-year-old Benjamin John Yarnell of South Main Street in Sparta. The three are charged with five counts of injury to real property and one count of breaking and entering.

Also being charged is a 15-year-old male from Mount Airy, who also participated in the graffiti. The juvenile, whose name is being withheld by police because he is under 16 years of age, was charged with four counts of vandalism on April 3.

The graffiti mainly consisted of the Star of David and pitch-forks, the officer said.

The three painted the two emblems on several business signs, highway signs, the Duncan Recreation Center Pool, an unoccupied home owned by Eli Hurtado on Reynolds Road (near the intersection with Collins Road), and a trailer at the Alleghany Wellness Center. The 15-year-old was involved in all of the vandalism cases with the exception of the break-in at the home.

Everett said he determined the incidents to be gang-related after interviewing those charged. “They all reported that it was gang-related,” he said. “They wanted to announce their presence here.” The graffiti was part of a recruitment process for new gang members and also to let the people of the town know that the gang has members here, explained Everett. The officer noted that the four are associated with the “Folks Gang,” which he said is a “spinoff from what they call the Crips.”

Tips from the community pointed police to the youths.

“We had some information through different sources and it just led from there,” said Everett.

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