BEVERLY HILLS—An Ontario man accused of spray-painting anti-vaccination graffiti on public buildings in Los Angeles County and alongside freeway onramps has pleaded not guilty on August 14 to three felonies.
Marlon Brian Andrino, 28, allegedly used black spray paint to scrawl the statement, “4 Every Kid Afflicted A Public Figure Will Die SB277” on the facade of the Beverly Hills Visitor’s Center, the West Hollywood City Hall and the freeway onramp signs along Interstate 10 on July 1. Unable to remove the graffiti, city officials covered up the vandalized surfaces.
Andrino surrendered himself to detectives from the Beverly Hills Police Department on July 2 after being reached by phone, said Lieutenant Lincoln Hoshino in a press release.
In his effort to rebuke SB277, Andrino has been charged with three counts of vandalism, racking in over $400 worth of damage for the defaced surfaces.
SB277 was signed into law on June 25 by Governor Jerry Brown. The piece of legislation outlines that every child must be vaccinated at the start of the school year regardless of parental or religious beliefs.
Opposition to the law comes from parents who protest the government’s encroachment on medical decisions regarding their children.
“The science is clear that vaccines dramatically protect children against a number of infectious and dangerous diseases,” Brown wrote in his signing statement. “While it is true that no medical intervention is without risk, evidence shows that immunization powerfully benefits and protects the community.”
If convicted of all three counts, Andrino could face a maximum sentence of four years and four months in county jail, says Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department West Hollywood Station and investigators from the California Highway Patrol assisted the Beverly Hills Police Department during this ongoing investigation.
