Girard hit by graffiti

More than 30 sites ‘tagged’ on -April Fools Day


By RAYMOND L. SMITH

Tribune Chronicle

GIRARD — A variety of phrases and profanities were spray-painted on homes, garages and cars on Girard’s east side in the early hours of April Fools’ Day, police said.

The vandals focused their energies on more than 30 properties on Howard, East Second, South State, East Liberty, East Kline, Prospect, Broadway and Lawrence streets. Phrases included ‘‘Jet ’09,’’ ‘‘Sunny D,’’ ‘‘Smalls,’’ ‘‘Tiny,’’ “Tripp’’ and ‘‘Bananas,’’ as well as a few profanities.

Police Chief Frank Bigowsky said his officers are investigating.

‘‘This is a serious concern,’’ Bigowsky said. ‘‘It was so widespread. All of our officers are looking into this. We haven’t seen anything like this in a while.’’

Cathy Balko of East Second Street said she was in the kitchen Tuesday afternoon when her son came in asking if she had seen the graffiti on their neighbor’s garage. Then she checked her own property and found the words ‘‘Peaches ’08’’ spray-painted on her garage.

‘‘I’ve never seen anything like this,’’ Balko said. ‘‘Yes, you will occasionally see graffiti painted before a big (Girard High School) football game, but nothing like this.’’

In addition to the garages, the vandals spray-painted cars and vans as well as some local businesses, including a Dairy Queen shed and Graziano Construction Co. They even tagged a Girard Police Department cruiser with a smiley face on the side door and ‘‘P-Jet’’ on the rear driver’s side door.

‘‘It looks so trashy,’’ Balko said. ‘‘I would like to see whoever did this be made to clean up my garage and all of the other properties they painted.’’

Alexis Sigurani, 17, whose mother Marie’s two garages had ‘‘P Jet ’08,’’ and ‘‘(expletive ) Girard’’ on her van windows, said, ‘‘The kind of crimes that you think of happening in larger communities like Youngstown are creeping into Girard.

‘‘When I was younger, we used to play in these alleys and not worry about anything happening back here. Now, I don’t know.’’

Sigurani said she painted over some of the profane words written on the garage because she did not want little kids who live in the neighborhood to see them.

She said she does not believe the vandals are dangerous people.

‘‘I think it is some people who are trying to show that they are cool,’’ she said. ‘‘They are trying to fit in.’’

David Merrill, whose son lives in the neighborhood, speculated that it probably was a small-time gang of kids.

‘‘I don’t know if it is a group of local kids trying to start a gang or one coming into Girard,’’ he said. ‘‘If it is a gang, it’ll scare some of our older residents.’’

Second Street resident Nicole Durr said she would like to see more evening police patrols in the neighborhood.

Bigowsky said it doesn’t appear that the teens who did this had an organized agenda or that they were after a particular person.



rsmith@tribune-chronicle.com