Updated at 3:07 p.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Centralia police caught a pair of teenagers overnight believed to responsible for a spree of leaving gang-style graffiti on well over 20 businesses and other buildings around town.
An officer passing by a vacant building on South Tower Avenue saw spray painting that hadn’t been there just a few minutes prior, Sgt. Stacy Denham said. The paint was wet, he said.
Two males from Centralia, an 18-year-old and a 15-year-old, were subsequently located and detained.
Denham said they had paint on their hands, red, black and he believed also gold.
Edgar Ramirez-Dado was arrested for second-degree malicious mischief and booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department. However, later today he was released without charges pending further investigation.
The case involving his juvenile companion was referred to prosecutors for charging.
Police say there is a third suspect, known to them, still outstanding. The investigation is continuing today, Denham, said.
A little more than a week ago, police arrested two other young men for allegedly spray painting over existing gang graffiti, one of whom said he did it because he hates gangs, because they give the city a bad name.