L.A. city employee among four charged in downtown graffiti spree

Four men — including a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power employee — were responsible for more than $170,000 in damage to downtown buildings during a yearlong graffiti spree, prosecutors alleged Thursday.

Javier Rezendez Rocha, who joined LADWP as an aide to electricians, was charged with 12 counts of felony vandalism in connection with the string of incidents that lasted from August 2025 to August 2026, according to a criminal complaint.

Rocha and three other men are accused of using “specialized equipment” to spray-paint tags and other markings down the sides of buildings, recording their actions with drones, according to a statement issued by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

“These defendants turned buildings across Los Angeles into their personal billboards, leaving property owners with over $170,000 in repair costs,” Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said in a statement. “Their alleged motive: not artistic expression but money and social media eyeballs. They are accused of going to extraordinary lengths to commit these crimes, using climbing equipment and drones to record their vandalism then allegedly profiting from it.”

Some of the addresses listed in the criminal complaint match those of historic downtown corridor buildings such as the Cameo Theatre and the Roxie Theatre. Another incident took place inside Pershing Square and one happened outside downtown near the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and La Brea Avenue.

Authorities said city-owned “rapelling equipment was allegedly used” during the incidents and displayed online, according to a spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office.

Michael Ray Gonzales, 40, of Pico Rivera was charged with seven counts of felony vandalism. Francisco Rodriguez Aguilar, 37, of West Covina and Richard Evan Ward II, 45, of Oceanside were charged with two counts each.

It was not immediately clear whether the men were represented by attorneys.

An LADWP spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.