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From the Eureka Police Department:

For the past several weeks, the Eureka Police Department has been actively investigating numerous graffiti vandalism reports concerning the tag “STAYN.” (A “tag” is graffiti in the form of an identifying name, symbol or personal signature.)

EPD has identified over 30 known victims and has photographed over 100 locations that have suffered damaged with this particular graffiti. EPD recently released, via social media, a surveillance video obtained from a local business owner showing the suspect vandalizing a piece of property with his tag.

Following the release of the video, EPD received tips concerning the identity of the suspect. Further investigation resulted in the identifying of the suspect’s residence.

On July 18, 2019, a search warrant was obtained for the suspect’s residence. At about 2:00 PM that afternoon, members of EPD’s Community Safety Enhancement Team (CSET) and Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Unit executed the search warrant in the 2500 block of Garland Street, Eureka.

During the service of the warrant, evidence was located that provided probable cause to arrest Nicholas Damien Hedrick (age 21 of Eureka) for felony vandalism. Hedrick was transported and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for felony vandalism. He has since posted bail and is no longer in custody. This is an ongoing investigation and we ask anyone that has information regarding this investigation to contact Old Town Officer Brian Ross at bross@ci.eureka.ca.gov.

EPD would like to thank the citizens who have been helpful in providing the information that led us to making this arrest. While EPD has identified the tag name (STAYN) used by the suspect in this case,this is for further investigatory purposes and we will not display images of the graffiti itself. (We do not want to further promote Hedrick’s criminal acts or give additional recognition to his tag.)