Mount Pleasant DC Forum

[coquigretch]

Our back wooden fence along the alley between Brown and 16th has some cinder blocks piled behind it (their arrival was mysterious) and a giant "M" has recently been spray painted by the cinder blocks. We can only assume this is some sort of tagging for robbery. All of the units in our condo building were robbed and/or entered illegally in June, and our bikes were stolen from the back in July.

Any other ideas on the recent appearance of the "M" or its meaning? Has anyone seen anything like this?

[ryanshepard]

Our back wooden fence along the alley between Brown and 16th has some cinder blocks piled behind it (their arrival was mysterious) and a giant "M" has recently been spray painted by the cinder blocks. We can only assume this is some sort of tagging for robbery. All of the units in our condo building were robbed and/or entered illegally in June, and our bikes were stolen from the back in July.

Might be gang-related, but I really, really doubt that it's some kind of mark related to the robberies. There was an uptick in break-ins around the neighborhood (and just north of us in Crestwood) back in the spring / early summer, but (and I walk around Mt. P quite a bit), I didn't notice a wave of "M" tags before or after.

As the linked post notes, the person likely responsible for those break-ins was arrested in August.

[coquigretch]

I never received any of my stolen property from the police, and we clearly identified the items, down to serial numbers for laptops, etc. (they stole a lot)

Still, that doesn't mean this is the same guy. Anyone can spraypaint an M, I just wonder what the motivation would be behind spraypainting an M on the semi-hidden area of someone's fence, right next to a pile of cinder blocks that would allow someone access to the back yard.

[ryanshepard]

The alleys are obviously full of graffiti - while I have seen some MS-13 and other gang stuff in the past, the majority of it is just mindless tagging / vandalism. My guess is that's what this is.

A lot of the stolen stuff was, I imagine, fenced quickly or sold off in some other way. Most serial burglars aren't keeping the majority of what they steal.

[mtplover]

I'd alert the local precinct, as they may have more experience with local gang signs than anyone else.