Gang graffiti vandal identified after defacing town homes, police say

HOUSTON – Houston police identified a teenager who allegedly scrawled gang graffiti on almost a dozen town homes in southwest Houston.

WATCH: Surveillance video of gang-related graffiti

The HPD Gang Squad identified him from a homeowner’s surveillance video Channel 2 News aired on July 2. And police say when it’s gang graffiti, it’s more than just a nuisance -- it could be a call to violence.

After Channel 2 aired the video, HPD Gang Squad officers were able to identify Dabid Iban Gonzalez, 17, as the man in the video seen spray-painting gang signs on the wall of a town home. At least 10 other town homes were also vandalized.

The homeowner who supplied the video asked not to have her identity made pubic for fear of retribution.

“They come my house, they do something bad to me,” she said.

Police said Gonzalez is a verified member of a large, sometimes violent southwest Houston gang. He’s been charged with a class B misdemeanor.

“That makes me feel safe,” the homeowner said.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said gang graffiti is not a prank and it could actually be a call to violence or a challenge to rival gangs.

“Graffiti by gang members is not about defacing something, it’s about sending messages to other gangs, it's about disrespecting other gangs. And graffiti in many instances predicts violence, predicts murder, but most importantly it causes violence, and that’s why we go after that kind of behavior,” Acevedo said.

Gonzalez is still at large. A warrant has been issued for his arrest. He could face up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine if he’s convicted.