By Mike Hazlip—
A monument sign at the entrance of Mesa Verde High School was recently vandalized with graffiti symbols indicating possible gang activity, prompting police involvement.
A photograph posted to a local community group on social media showed spray paint on the entrance sign to Mesa Verde High School, with the photo apparently taken over the weekend. Blue spray-painted letters appeared to spell out “South Side” with the letters “NK,” along with other markings.
Citrus Heights Police Sgt. Joseph Aguilar told The Sentinel in a phone call Thursday that the color and symbols of the graffiti are typical of gang activity, with NK representing “Norteno Killer.” Aguilar said police are working to determine if the incident is part of a more serious trend, or if it was created by a juvenile who may not be a validated gang member.
Police are taking the incident seriously, Aguilar said, with increased patrols and contacting individuals as part of their investigation. He said the Citrus Heights Police Impact Team is working to identify any potential gang activity.
Mesa Verde High School is less than a mile from a shooting that occurred May 8, 2021, along Auburn Boulevard. Police said the May 8 shooting was gang related, eventually arresting 39-year-old Camilo Saenz.
From 2021: Citrus Heights police make arrest in night club shooting
Raj Rai, a spokeswoman for San Juan Unified School District, said the graffiti was cleaned up on Monday, April, 3. Rai said the district did not have a specific cost for removing the vandalism, but said it required several hours of time for a painter to clean up.
