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Gang member arrested for graffiti

 

A 19-year-old gang member was arrested by Sheriff's deputies June 27 in connection with an extensive graffiti attack at the Sonoma Valley Charter School after he allegedly brandished a knife and threatened a young woman outside her home.

The trouble began on the night of June 24 when members of one criminal street gang spray painted graffiti on the Charter School walls. Members of a rival gang soon responded with graffiti of their own, further defacing the school's outside wall and creating the need for an expensive clean-up.

As Sheriff deputies were investigating the graffiti attacks, they received a complaint from a Springs woman that a group of gang members were causing a disturbance outside her home and that a 19-year-old, whose gang name was "Boston," had shouted abusive and threatening language at her while holding a knife in his hand.

The woman told deputies members of the group carried cans of black spray paint and that they drove off in a red Ford Ranger pick-up.

Later that evening a deputy spotted fresh graffiti signs on the school wall and noticed a red Ford Ranger and a red Chevy pick-up nearby.

As he approached the scene, the officer saw a group of males he believed to be gang members crouched behind a white Toyota truck. One of the young men ran off and hid under a nearby car and two started to walk away as the deputy called for back-up. He ordered the two to lie on the ground at gunpoint and subsequently found nearby a plastic bag containing cocaine and a second bag with marijuana and a smoking pipe.

Deputies could not match the drugs to a specific suspect, but they did discover that one of the five was on probation with a clause requiring good conduct. He was cited for a probation violation and ordered to appear in court.

A 17-year-old juvenile was found to be in possession of cigarettes and a lighter, was cited for having tobacco products and was released to his father.

The following night deputies received another call from the young woman who had claimed "Boston" threatened her. She said he, along with a group of other apparent gang members, was back in her parking lot. Deputies responded and arrested "Boston," who was identified as Jonathon A. Castorena, a Sonoma Valley resident and registered gang member.

Castorena was charged misdemeanor vandalism, violation of felony probation, misdemeanor brandishing a weapon, felony graffiti, felony violation of probation and felony participation in a criminal street gang. He was booked into the county jail.