SPANISH FORK — Police in Spanish Fork are seeking tips on who splashed the name of a hard-core rap group in black paint on cars, fences and homes last weekend.
To that end, the police department in the south Utah County city is offering a reward of $500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the vandals.
In addition, another $500 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest or conviction of anyone involved in a window-smashing spree on parked cars around town.
Police do not know if the crimes are related.
"We haven't had any (graffiti) before," said Spanish Fork police detective John Jackson. "This is something that happened in one night — it isn't something we've been dealing with for months."
Last week, sometime between Saturday evening and Sunday morning, vandals tagged at least 11 locations. They began on the west side of Spanish Fork High School, at Center Street and 630 West, and moved south from there along a straight path, Jackson said.
The words "Murder Mobb" were found at the sites. Murder Mobb is known for its explicit lyrics, Jackson said, adding that the words should not cause residents to fear for their safety.
"I don't want the citizens on the west side of town thinking there's an actual mob running around," he said.
Police had a lead in the investigation when they found a receipt for the paint used in the vandalism, only to discover that the paint had been stolen from the people who purchased it.
The window breaking has been ongoing for a few weeks now, and there have been 22 reported cases of vehicles all around town that have had their windows broken out while parked.
Police have talked to some witnesses at some of the incidents and have obtained partial descriptions of three different vehicles: a red or maroon '90s model Chevy pickup with a single cab, a blue passenger car and a gold passenger car.
The different vehicles reported at the scenes has led police to believe there may be more than one group involved, Jackson said.
Anyone with information regarding the graffiti or window smashings can contact the Spanish Fork Police Department at 798-5070.
E-mail: jtwitchell@desnews.com