Busted: RANE, serial graffiti vandal, sheriff’s officials say

The alleged serial graffiti artist rained graffiti for five years all over the Santa Clarita Valley. About 750 scrawls, authorities said.

But on early Thursday morning, detectives from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station’s ominously named COBRA team — or Career Offenders Burglary Robbery Apprehension squad -- finally arrested their quarry.

His name is Isaiah Garcia, 23, but his tagging nom de guerre is RANE, they said.

Garcia also allegedly went by the moniker KASE, authorities said. But it’s clear which moniker is more pun-able: “RANE of Terror Ends,” read the sheriff’s press release.

Sheriff’s investigators said Garcia has been spray-painting graffiti over the Santa Clarita Valley since 2009. Authorities said the suspect would leave his mark on just about any “stationary object.” Some business owners complained about graffiti etched into the windows of their establishments.

The COBRA team was hot on the vandal’s trail, but only recently did one of its detectives find out the true identity of RANE, authorities said.

When COBRA team members served a search warrant at the 25300 block of Everett Drive in the Newhall area of Santa Clarita, they found numerous tools used for tagging, including spray-paint cans, spray-paint tips, permanent markers, etching tools and adhesive stickers known as “slap tags.”

Investigators said they found evidence linking Garcia to RANE and KASE.

Investigators are trying to determine a dollar amount for the damage.

If convicted of the vandalism, Garcia could be forced to pay for the damage caused by hundreds of graffiti tags.

If that happens, he might find himself in a world of PANE.

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