A Media graffiti artist has been “tagged” by police after properties were found defaced in Clifton Heights.
Police have charged Martin Foy, 47, Media, with criminal mischief and disorderly conduct after spray painting his “tag” on properties throughout the borough in early October.
According to the criminal complaint filed by Clifton Heights Sgt. Ryan Berry, police were notified Oct. 2 that three trucks in the rear of Furniture Comfort Zone in the 200 block of West Baltimore Avenue had recently been spray-painted with “DYMZ” and “DEMISER.”
Officials estimated the cost to clean up the damage would be over $1,000.
Using video surveillance police were to see a black Chevrolet HHR vehicle arrive about 4 a.m. on Oct. 1 and a white male passenger approximately 6 feet tall with a cap and cross body bag get out and spray the trucks.
Police used license plate readers in the area to identify a black Chevrolet HHR that was in the area around the time of the incident.
Police contacted the operator by phone, who told police he did not know his passenger. He said the passenger was a photographer. The driver did not show up for a subsequent interview with police.
Police obtained additional video that showed the male tag a business at Oak and Baltimore before going into the nearby Wawa to make a purchase.
Police were able to get a still image of the suspect, which they distributed to other police agencies for possible identification.
Officers in Media recognized the man as Foy. They have had numerous encounters with him and provided Clifton Heights police with his name, address and cellphone number. He was known to tag with DMYZ.
Clifton Heights police then turned to social media, where they found a Facebook account that had multiple graffiti images and photos of Foy wearing the same windbreaker style jacket, hat and cross-body bag as the subject who had spray-painted properties in Clifton Heights.
Police obtained a search warrant for Foy’s phone records which showed him in the same area of Clifton Heights at the time of the incident.
Police also discovered Foy had a 13-minute conversation with the driver of the Chevrolet HHR not long after police had spoken to him.
On Oct. 5, police spotted Foy near the Secane train station. He was wearing a similar hat and cross-body bag as the subject in the video.
At that time, Foy said he knew nothing of the tagging. He said he is currently homeless and looking for a shelter.
He was taken in and charged then released on $5,000 unsecured bail pending a Nov. 14 preliminary hearing.