Graffiti tagger caught with spray paint in hand, police say

Site staff by Site Contributor

A Madison man was caught in the act of tagging a Williamson Street business with spray paint early Thursday morning, police said.

Elliot W. Klein, 28, is suspected of causing tens of thousands of dollars in graffiti damage over the course of many months in the Isthmus area, Madison police said.

Buildings, utility boxes, street signs, bridges and other surfaces, both publicly and privately owned, have been spray-painted with tags investigators have connected to Klein, according to the report.

On Thursday, a Williamson Street beat officer and other police personnel were conducting a surveillance operation as part of the ongoing property damage investigations when Klein was spotted leaving his Williamson Street home, officials said.

Shortly after midnight, Klein was seen holding a can of spray paint, defacing a building in the 1500 block, the report said.

Police searched Klein’s home with a warrant and found numerous pieces of evidence that investigators said connect him to the crime spree.

Police received multiple complaints regarding similar property damage (resulting in more than 100 cases) going back to the summer of 2016.

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