Tulsa has witnessed another act of vandalism, this time by a local street artist known for the tag "MANGO". According to the Tulsa Police Department's page, an adolescent was caught in the midst of defacing property along a prominent highway. Talan Jones, aged 18, was apprehended last Friday after a brief chase, after police were alerted to the incident.
Responding to a vandalism report, officers encountered Jones, decked out in a black hoodie and green pants, actively adding his trademark tag to a concrete wall. The report details, "An Officer arrived and saw the suspect, wearing a black hoodie and green pants, spray-painting the word "MANGO" on the wall." Engaging in a chase, running north away from the highway, ended with the young artist at 1708 S Columbia Pl, his hands and clothes betraying the act with remnants of spray paint, and two cans corroborating his artistic tools.
Jones has since been detained at Tulsa City Jail, facing charges of vandalism and resisting arrest. The word "MANGO" is no stranger to Tulsa's municipal canvas, linked with multiple acts of vandalism across downtown businesses, causing significant financial harm. Not singular in its implications, vandalism, with a blast of spray paint, can often ripple through business owners' wallets, amounting to thousands in damages, as is the case with the "MANGO" incidents.
A local business owner, victim to the splash of unwelcome artistry, commented on the frustration. "A witness reported that his wife saw the suspect spray-painting "MANGO" while driving on Highway 51." Given that "MANGO" has become synonymous with unsolicited street art on his and other downtown properties, the sentiments of discontent among business owners are palpable, according to the Tulsa Police Department's page.
