Graffiti vandals spark anger in neighborhoods

Alterra resident Peter Trast was one of many people tasked with cleaning up after weekend mischief in Maricopa. 

Just after noon today, Trast, a painter at ACP Painting, covered red graffiti at one of the main entrance signs at the Homestead community near West Smith-Enke Road.  

The vandals had altered the communities sign to say “HOMIESTEAD.” 

He said it was one of multiple he and the company’s owner, Rob Byers were tasked to fix up. 

The two painters were called in by the community’s homeowners association, according to Byers. 

Homestead was just one of three neighborhoods struck by vandalism over the weekend. 

Byers said on the way to their job, he saw what appeared to be other painter covering graffiti near the Smith-Enke Bridge over the Santa Rosa Wash near Rancho El Dorado. 

“There’s a bunch of graffiti there,” he said. 

In another attempt at mischievous humor, several stop signs near Vintage Drive in Rancho El Dorado were spray-painted with black letters spelling out “GO.”  

A group of electrical boxes and walls were also painted according to several images posted to various Facebook groups Saturday morning. Wet paint covered them when InMaricopa reporters went to check out the damage this afternoon. 

Facebook user Shauna Blauvelt also reported graffiti on a Lakes at Rancho El Dorado wall near North Ben Street. 

“Someone needs to catch the little punks who did it and make them clean it up,” Renee Li said. “They need a little shake down.” 

Miriam Felix Medina added: “This is so sad, I hope they get the people who did this.” 

Maricopa police do not have a suspect but “welcome any information from the community,” MPD spokesperson Monica Williams said.

If you have information about the graffiti, you can call MPD’s non-emergency line at 520-568-3673.