Early in the morning of Thursday, February 9th, six people were seen in the vicinity of Cox’s Market Plaza in Old Town Tustin, but four had left the area when Phil Cox heard the sounds of breaking glass. The group was described as being in their late 20s to early 30s.

Which is interesting, because we associate vandalism with younger people, usually in their teens, and vandalism was exactly what happened. Phil Cox, owner of Cox’s Market Plaza, had created a memorial for his parents on his grounds, to commemorate their efforts in improving and preserving Old Town Tustin. The memorial consists of hand-painted signs representing the building back in 1936, when it was surrounded by orange groves, and a portrait of Cox’s parents, Edwin and Leola. An American flag completed the memorial.

Neither the flag nor the portraits were damaged in any way, just the lights. “They may have had just reasons to be angry at their parents but I don’t know why they are angry at my parents,” Cox said to the Orange County Register. “And I don’t know what they have against the flag of our country but I wish they’d leave it alone.”

Phil Cox is offering a $1,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the vandals.

How do you feel about vandalism? What about graffiti? Are you surprised that people of this age group are suspected of vandalism? Do you have problems with either, or both, in your Orange County community? How do you deal with it? What would you suggest that Phil Cox do about this problem?

If you have any information about this incident, please contact the Tustin Police Department on (714) 573-3200.

At the Law Offices of Glew & Kim, we see all clients as innocent until proven guilty, and believe in equal justice for all. If you or someone you know has been involved in a crime and needs honest, unbiased defense, please call us immediately on (866) 648-0004 or use our online form for a free case analysis.