(KRON) — Two alleged vandals who use the monikers “2LATE” and “STAPLE” were recently identified and arrested by San Jose police, investigators said. The two men were part of the same graffiti crew as a prolific vandal, known as “GOOB,” who was nabbed earlier this year, according to police.
The man behind “GOOB,” 20-year-old Alex Garcia of San Jose, was responsible for a surge of graffiti vandalism that plagued the downtown area between 2023-2025, police said. Garcia “was involved in an estimated 100 vandalism incidents in the South Bay area that targeted commercial, public, and private properties,” San Jose Police Department Officer Tanya Hernandez wrote.
In one of Garcia’s graffiti sketches he wrote, “F**k SJPD,” photos release by SJPD show. After “GOOB” was arrested in April, police conducted a follow-up investigation to find more suspects in Garcia’s crew.
Officers said they later identified “STAPLE” as Sebastian Rodriguez, 23, of Los Banos. He is believed to be involved in at least 17 vandalism incidents within San Jose. Officers identified “2LATE” as Brandon Arreola, 26, of San Jose, who was involved in at least 14 incidents, Hernandez said.
“If you missed the kindergarten lesson about not drawing on walls, the San Jose Police Department will gladly give you a refresher,” Mayor Matt Mahan said Tuesday.
On September 3, officers arrested Rodriguez in Los Banos and Arreola in San Jose. During a search of their homes, officers found large amounts of spray paint and graffiti tools.
“Graffiti, no matter the content or the artistic talent of the person responsible, is a crime against someone else’s property,” said Police Chief Paul Joseph. “It damages businesses, neighborhoods, and public spaces, and it costs our community millions. Our officers put in the work to track these vandals down, and now they’re facing the consequences. If you tag our city, expect us to come knocking on your door.”
The suspected “2LATE” and “STAPLE” vandals were booked into jail on felony charges.
The mayor said, “I want to thank our Chief and our officers for taking these cases seriously. The way our city looks shapes how our residents feel — and we can’t just perpetually clean up after bad actors.”
Anyone with information about these or similar cases of vandalism involving the monikers of, “GOOB”, “2LATE”, and “STAPLE” is asked to contact SJPD Officer Osborne via email at 4242@sanjoseca.gov.
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