By Aaron Burgin, The Porterville Recorder
Suspect: Man accused of painting graffiti - Gang graffiti is one of the most prevalent public nuisances. When it is done by one of the people entrusted with the safety of the public, it is even more alarming, law enforcement officials said Thursday.

"It always saddens us when someone in law enforcement is accused of or commits a crime," Assistant District Attorney Carol Turner said. "There is a special trust there, and we hold them to higher standards as a community."

This is exactly what several residents in Pixley said happened in their town when Raul Cardona Valdez, a 32-year-old California Department of Forestry firefighter based in Pixley, allegedly got a hold of a can of red spray paint.

Valdez, who according to the department no longer works for CDF, is currently facing two felony vandalism charges stemming from December 2006, when several Pixley residents said the uniformed fireman crossed out blue gang graffiti with the can of spray paint.

In its place, he allegedly left graffiti closely associated with the Norteno street gangs, according to a 10-page report from the Tulare County Sheriff's Department. Neighbors told Tulare County Sheriff's Deputies they were afraid that fireman's actions would cause violence in the town that has its share of gang problems.

Valdez told deputies he was trying to catch the real vandals by luring them in with the graffiti. Law enforcement officials, according to the report, believe Valdez had other motives.

"Through my training, I believe that this crime was committed in the furtherance and benefit of the Norteno criminal street gang," Sgt. Douglas Winslow wrote in the 10-page report about the incidents. "I believe that Valdez saw the southern gang writing and still has a northern mind set."

On Dec. 3, 2006, Tulare County Sheriffs deputies responded to 855 E. Ellsworth Avenue in Pixley regarding a 911 hang-up. There, they spoke to Eliezer Cervantes, who told them that shortly before 2 p.m., a firefighter emerged from a Tulare County fire truck and began spray painting a telephone pole on the southwest corner of the intersection.

Then, the man began to spray paint an "X" and "4" over a previously painted "133" on a six-foot wooden fence that was the eastern backyard fence of 749 E. Ellsworth Avenue. He also painted a red line through a previously graffitied "Sur 13".

Cervantes approached the firefighter, who told Cervantes it was his job to paint over existing graffiti. Cervantes then told him that he should paint over and cover up the graffiti, not paint opposing gang graffiti over it. Cervantes told deputies that the fireman said that he'd lived in Pixley his entire life and he "would do what he wanted to do." When Cervantes told the fireman that he would call the Sheriff's Department, the fireman said, "Go ahead, they won't do anything to me, they are all friends of mine."

Deputies interviewed Cervantes' friends, who also relayed a similar account of the events. As deputies interviewed them, another man, Balbino Fernandez, arrived and told deputies of a separate incident in the 600 block of South Maple Road. Deputies found on that street a vacant garage with fresh red graffiti covering existing graffiti.

Deputies contacted Valdez's superiors, and later that day contacted Valdez. Valdez told detectives that he was trying to prove a point to young graffiti vandals that it was not going to be accepted. However, according to the report, detectives discovered Valdez had associated with Norteno gangs during his youth and had a tattoo above his right wrist that was common among Norteno gang members.

Valdez then told detectives he hoped that his graffiti would attract the real vandals to the location, where they would be caught by deputies, but did not have authorization from the Sheriff's Department to engage in the so-called operation. Deputies forwarded the case to the District Attorney's office, which filed criminal charges against Valdez on March 27.

Turner said the county's prosecuting agency does not take graffiti lightly. In addition to ValdezŐs charges, there is an additional enhancement that the graffiti was done to promote a street gang, adding to a potential prison sentence if convicted. "The crossing out of another gang's graffiti is an aggressive action that is a territorial challenge," Turner said. "This challenge can lead to violence." "We prosecute all persons charged with graffiti very aggressively," Turner said.

Firefighters at the Pixley station declined comment for the story. Valdez's next court date is June 4.

Contact Aaron Burgin at 784-5000, Ext. 1046, or aburgin@portervillerecorder.com.