Bail, graffiti, repeat: Ukiah man arrested twice for vandalism

The following is a press release from the Ukiah Police Department. The information has not been proven in court and all individuals described are presumed innocent until proven guilty:

In the early morning hours of 9/20/2024, an officer with the Ukiah Police Department (UPD) was dispatched to Schat's Bakery in the 100 block of West Perkins Street in Ukiah for a graffiti report. The officer arrived and spoke with the business owner, who showed him that a large planter in front of his business had been spray painted. The business owner then pointed out several other graffiti tags on the properties of the Ukiah Brewing Company and Jax Boutique.

The suspect was captured on video during the graffiti attack and was immediately recognized by UPD officers as Aldar Fragoso. When the graffiti was discovered, Fragoso was already in custody at the Mendocino County Jail after being arrested by the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office for another minor graffiti vandalism on South State Street. A UPD officer came to the Mendocino County Jail and rebooked Fragoso for another misdemeanor vandalism, hoping that the new charge would keep him in custody until his arraignment. At the time of this incident, Fragoso had two other graffiti vandalism cases pending with the UPD and was also awaiting parole from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for animal cruelty. Fragoso posted bail and was released later that same day.

On 09/21/2024 at approximately 6:45 p.m., a UPD officer was on routine patrol in a marked vehicle in the 1000 block of South State Street when a bicyclist suddenly sped in front of the patrol vehicle, nearly causing an accident. The reckless bicyclist turned into the parking lot at 1104 South State Street, and the officer followed, attempting to stop the bicyclist and admonish him for his dangerous riding.

The cyclist ignored the officer's request to stop and continued through the parking lot and down a drain. The officer called for assistance and additional officers arrived to check the area.

The cyclist was found hiding in the bushes south of Washington Avenue and identified as Aldar Fragoso. Fragoso, who had been out of action for less than twelve hours, was found in possession of several cans of spray paint and permanent marker.

Fragoso was arrested for resisting arrest and possession of graffiti tools. He was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on charges of 148(a)(1) PC and 594.2(a) PC. Fragoso was later released from custody after signing a pledge to appear in Ukiah Superior Court at a later date.

As always, UPD's mission is to make Ukiah as safe as possible, and we are grateful for the help we receive from the community and local business owners. If you would like to learn more about crime in your neighborhood, you can sign up for phone, cell phone and email alerts by clicking the Nixle button on our website: www.ukiahpolice.com.