Graffiti embarrasses Eastside neighbors

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Three words are painted in black spray paint at a neighborhood bus stop. Accompanying those words are symbols of hate and white supremacy. Friday morning Santa Barbara Eastside neighbors were embarrassed to see it.

The graffiti was sprayed on a wooden privacy fence at the bus stop for Punta Gorda Street and S. Salinas Street.

Police spokesman Anthony Wagner with Santa Barbara Police said the department takes graffiti seriously, they document it for their records and they use it to compare other tags in the city. They don't think there is an extracurricular threat to the community from this case.

Across Punta Gorda Street from the bus stop, Eva Arechiga runs a family care day care. She said she tries to teach the children she looks after how to behave and writing on the walls is bad. She doesn't like how across the street is an example of what not to do. She is embarrassed that the parents of the children will have to see the graffiti when they pick-up and drop-off their children.

Arechiga's gardener Eric said this is the first time he has seen these words graffitied in the neighborhood. He said he grew up down the street from the bus stop and is confused to see them tagged in his neighborhood.

Wagner said if someone is caught graffitiing they will be charged a fine to cover the costs to clean it up and could face jail time. If you have any information about this case of vandalism or any other case, SBPD encourages you to call their tip line; 805-569-2677

Wagner also said the city is normally pretty quick to clean up graffiti after it is found. We called the city offices and they were closed and were not available to say when they think this graffiti will be cleaned up.