Photo: Stock Image
28-year-old Thousand Oaks resident Brahin Valencia may be a very talented artist who exhibits his graphic skills on the dermis of his fans, permanently marking them with his tattoo pen.
Valencia’s talent as a tattoo artist does not, however, grant him immunity from the laws of the State of California which prohibit the tattooing of minors under the age of 18. Compounded by the fact that the artwork in which Valencia specializes is, according to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Dillan Alvarez, indicative of criminal gang affiliation, Valencia’s status as a documented gang member and felony parolee “under the supervision of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation” makes his activities particularly of interest to law enforcement.
When detectives attached to the Thousand Oaks Special Enforcement Unit became aware that several local area minors were suddenly adorned with visibly fresh “gang tattoos,” the ensuing investigation “connected” Valencia to the artwork.
As a parolee, Valencia was subject to unannounced parole searches and was contacted at his home on January 18th . During that visit, evidence was found indicating that Valencia was indeed “responsible for tattooing minors” 14 and 16 years of age with gang tattoos. He was taken into custody and transported to Ventura County Jail, where he is held on charges of Street Gang Solicitation, Unlawful Tattooing of a Minor, and Participation in a Criminal Street Gang, with his bail set at $100,000.
