They are the Bonnie and Clyde of the graffiti world, and now a Queens woman and her boyfriend have been arrested, suspected of causing more than $100,000 in damages at transit facilities around the city, Newsday has learned.
But the suspects problems aren't just local: the couple just got back from three months in Europe, where they dined, partied - and tagged their way through 10 or so countries, according to law enforcement sources.
"They had a mad bombing trip," one source said.
At least one of those countries - France - has expressed an interest in prosecuting the duo, the source said.
NYC pair eyed in European graffiti spree
One of the suspects, Danielle Bremner, 26, of Woodside, apparently knew she was being sought and flew from Europe to Chicago, where authorities there arrested her Tuesday night.
Her boyfriend and alleged accomplice, Jim Clay Harper, 23, who is from Chicago but had been living in Queens, left Europe with Bremner and was arrested at JFK International Airport, also on Tuesday night.
"We consider her the number one active female tagger, possibly in the country, definitely in New York,'' the source said. "He's a big player. He just hasn't been caught. Now he has, and his status in the graffiti world will definitely go up."
But the suspects problems aren't just local: the couple just got back from three months in Europe, where they dined, partied - and tagged their way through 10 or so countries, according to law enforcement sources.
"They had a mad bombing trip," one source said.
At least one of those countries - France - has expressed an interest in prosecuting the duo, the source said.
NYC pair eyed in European graffiti spree
One of the suspects, Danielle Bremner, 26, of Woodside, apparently knew she was being sought and flew from Europe to Chicago, where authorities there arrested her Tuesday night.
Her boyfriend and alleged accomplice, Jim Clay Harper, 23, who is from Chicago but had been living in Queens, left Europe with Bremner and was arrested at JFK International Airport, also on Tuesday night.
"We consider her the number one active female tagger, possibly in the country, definitely in New York,'' the source said. "He's a big player. He just hasn't been caught. Now he has, and his status in the graffiti world will definitely go up."
22 comments:
Now I don't approve of graffiti but c'mon folks....an "art" crimes arrest and possible extradition?
I certainly hope that homeland security shows equal zeal and effectiveness in keeping us safe from terrorists!
Don Pete "junior" Vallone must have just pissed his pants down to his shoes!
Now, if that graff/couple put up some political statements on their international forays like,
"F--K BLOOMBERG" or "STOP OVER DEVELOPMENT" I'd gladly pay for their spray paint!
Any takers on this?
C'mon....get back at "THE MAN"
and put some punch in your tags with political criticism!
GOOD FOR THESE IDIOTS
LET THEM USE THERE TIME FOR SOMETHING MORE CONSTRUCTIVE
The same people who make graffiti paint the awesome looking murals that you sometimes see on bare walls of the side of a store. Less graffiti artists means less murals. Less murals means less to look at in Queens, which means a crappier Queens.
Lock 'em up!
Graffiti serves no social purpose. The more graffiti in a neighborhood, the less you'd want to live there.
Now maybe a fellow prisoner will "tag" these two clowns' a-holes in the showers!
Hey Steven...you're a pinhead.
Graffiti scum are NOT the same people who paint murals on bare walls...or even close.
Graffiti scum complete deface private and public property with their tags or initials.
The mural artists have the permision of building owners to paint a relatively artistic picture.
More often than not murals have graffiti painted over them anyway.
Are you saying there's a mutual respect between those who paint murals and those who paint graffiti....not a chance.
And your concern about having no more murals...that's fine with me too!
"Graffiti serves no social purpose. The more graffiti in a neighborhood, the less you'd want to live there."
NOT the case in Williamsburg, Brooklyn...
As for the guy who said "graffiti scum" are not the same people who paint murals, you are 100% wrong... I'd say that 90% of the talented artists who paint murals were originally graffiti artists.
www.knowngallery.com
www.beautifullosers.com
Rather have graffiti than silly corporate ads telling me that McD's is "100% Beef" over the BQE.
Actually, Salvatore, we don't need either. Turns out they're both illegal, as we recently found out.
Rather have graffiti than silly corporate ads telling me that McD's is "100% Beef" over the BQE.
Here we go! Looks like some "genius" recently watched a Morgan Spurlock "film" and thinks he knows it all now!
You guys are incorrect for thinking these are the same hood rats that tag the block in black sloppy letters and numbers.Next door to my building is this garbage tag on a garage with three different little gangs that have written over each other and the block lets it sit up there for two years In Astoria .Put up some tasteful graffiti or mural.
"Salvatore",
I'm totally with you on this !
Tell these knee jerk
narrow minded critical boobs to come and visit "5 Pointz"
aerosol art center & museum at Court Square where you can see some the finest aerosol murals in the world.
ARTISTS come here from all points of the globe to paint by PERMISSION (not illegally) masterpieces of form, composition and striking in your face vivid color!
It's been featured in many articles, documentaries and
international tourist guides.
If this stuff doesn't move you you're an ignorant barbarian or simply brain dead!
"Wade Nichols said...
Lock 'em up!
Graffiti serves no social purpose. The more graffiti in a neighborhood, the less you'd want to live there.
Now maybe a fellow prisoner will "tag" these two clowns' a-holes in the showers!"
speak for yourself WADE- personally, the more graffiti, the more i'd want to live there. grsffiti serves many a social purpose. problem is, you and people like you, simply don't get it. and it's not all about gangs either.
so people who "tag" deserved to be anally raped for writing on a wall with spray paint? i'm glad you are not a judge, and hopefully not a parent with comments like those. IT'S JUST PAINT!
and what is your obsession with "tagging a-holes"? did you have a naughty baby sitter growing up? a horrible step parent? who treated you like such crap in your life that you think people should be anally raped for a "crime" like graffiti?
i'd go to the doctor and get some xanax if i was you. seriously, there are way bigger things in this world to worry about, and after your post, you are one of those people in my eyes.
and i bet you wish that bush could finagle 4 more years too...
-been locked up for it, paid my dues, my fines, did my time, did my probation. people in jail LAUGH LIKE HELL that you're in jail for spray paint. tagged a-holes? zero.
unless i saw you and wrote on your face! tag! yr it chump!
mighty king greeze
-pitying fools since 1975
"grsffiti serves many a social purpose. problem is, you and people like you, simply don't get it."
No, please enlighten us. What is the social purpose for this? Why are you doing this to private property? My elderly neighbor has to spend her money and time cleaning this disgusting crap everytime one of these "artists" feels inspired.
first off, i feel sorry for your elderly neighbor, and i personally don't believe in painting private property- at least not personal, or small business. the corporate world is a whole 'nother ball o wax. that "blight" is usually left by younger people, usually in gangs- at least in the mid-west, i'm pretty sure that's how the majority of writer's feel, although i can only speak for myself. and also in my opinion, i find a big difference between what these two people got arrested for compared to what is left on your elderly neighbor's property.
as far as social purpose, a large deal of it is a comment on society, and it has evolved through time. it has turned a lot of people's lives around in positive ways, now getting rich because they used to write on walls or trains, etc. -companies like nike, mtv, and more have paid writer's big dollars to make their advertising. look at the commercials on tv- how many of them are graffiti influenced? the more i watch tv the more graff i see. the people in control of the media are the ones sending out a mixed message to our youth.
and there's a lot of people writing that could be robbing, raping, and killing- but they're not- they're getting their release out in a more positive way, which i know the positive is hard for a lot of you to see. and often, writers getting arrested does give "these idiots" a wake up call so to speak and they do end up doing more constructive things with their time and paint.
and what about the beautiful murals in cities across the world, as mentioned earlier- who do you think does them? what about memorial paintings- recognizing the loss of a loved community member/friend? maybe i just have a different view of what "positive" is... yeah, maybe there are better things that people could do with their time and money, but would you not agree that there are also a lot worse things that same person could be doing? and everyone has their own personal story of how they got there- to writing. everyone has their own reasons- but if it's such a terrible thing, why does the media try and use it in such a positive light? and not just tv- magazines too. everywhere... where were the "positive" parents/adults in the community to instill your "positive" values? who is there to lend a helping hand? what have we offered our youth of today as an alternative?
a fine example:
Graffiti art takes presidential race to the streets
you can paypal $ for paint to me at greezus@gmail.com -thanks!
speak for yourself WADE- personally, the more graffiti, the more i'd want to live there. grsffiti serves many a social purpose. problem is, you and people like you, simply don't get it. and it's not all about gangs either.
Of course I speak for myself, who the hell else would I speak for?
As for you, how do you know that I "don't get it"? I'm willing to bet that I "get it" much more often than you do, loser!
i'm glad you are not a judge, and hopefully not a parent with comments like those. IT'S JUST PAINT!
Obviously, you're not a parent yourself, or if you are, you're a despicable one at that. Anyone who spends their time following graffiti "art" has too much time on their hands.
seriously, there are way bigger things in this world to worry about, and after your post, you are one of those people in my eyes.
Indeed. There are way bigger things in this world to worry about. You don't even warrant a mention as a "footnote" in the book of life, loser!
and i bet you wish that bush could finagle 4 more years too...
If Bush proposed to lock up people such as yourself, and send you off to a labor camp in the salt mines of Utah, he would get my vote. But unfortunately, he's too much like the wimpy Democrats. Bin Laden and his gang would probably know what to do with you though.
as far as social purpose, a large deal of it is a comment on society, and it has evolved through time. it has turned a lot of people's lives around in positive ways
Pornography has "evolved" over time, and has also turned a lot of people's lives around. Generally in a downward spiral, similar to water flushing down a toilet, much like your life.
you can paypal $ for paint to me at greezus@gmail.com -thanks!
After all the drivel you just wrote, you still have zero dignity, and are willing to prostitute yourself for "donations"??
yeah, Wade, the way to show you are dignified is to throw lame insults at folks trying to have an insightful debate. way to go, wade.
I hope you aren't a parent either. I would hate to think your children are being told their lives are on the downward spiral much like water flushing down a toilet and that they aren't worth a shit just because they drew on the wall with crayons.
Treat others as you would like to be treated and you won't come off like a sad man lacking in the self esteem department.
too much time on your hands = insulting people daily on the internet.
peace
THESE FUCKING SCUM SUBHUMANS DEFACE PRIVATE PROPERTY SO GET THEM OFF THE STREET AND INTO SOME NICE COZY PRISON CELL WHERE THEY CAN BE TAGGED WITH A GOOD ASS RAPING.
wade, wade, wade...
i'm sorry you have such low self esteem that you have to try and degrade people to make yourself feel better- and i have no dignity? c'mon wade, i wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt- i thought you were smarter than that, but obviously not.
you and your "anonymous" friends are starting to sound like you have a lot of pent-up homosexual feelings with your talk of "ass raping" people.
and wade, while commenting to the world you said "The more graffiti in a neighborhood, the less you'd want to live there." -that is speaking for other people, not yourself. an elementary school english class would have taught you that boy.
it sounds like you're in high school, the way you keep turning everything into something that has to do with sex- gay or straight. c'mon wade- i asked a lot of valid questions, without being childish about it, and that is the best you can do? sad.
you are right about one thing- i'm not a parent, but i bet i be a damn fine parent with an open mind to boot. you sound like you have everything all figured out, don't ya wade!
and because someone "studies graffiti art"- that means they have way too much time on their hands? with that kind of logic, i could use that argument with anything. elementary boy, elementary.
all you have managed to do is call me a "loser" a couple times (great one wade!), let me know that my life is worthless, and that i'm going to hell (another couple of great jabs wade!! that really hurt!!!), and that Bin Laden would know what to do with me!?! i don't quite see where you are going with that one, but since you've graduated from cowboys and indians to bush and bin laden, at least you're almost up to date on current events in the world.
as for dignity, i've had enough experience in the self-loathing department to know what the hell dignity is all about son. if you actually knew what dignity meant, you would leave mature comments- you don't sound very noble to me.
and as far as "prostituting myself for donations" goes, did you read the very first comment by another anonymous person where they said "I'd gladly pay for their spray paint!"? obviously not. and just so you have everything straight, technically, wouldn't i be "whoring for donations" since donations are a gift of free will as opposed to "prostituting" where i would be getting paid a service?
and as far as "bush locking people like me up" -what- open minded, free thinkers? wade, you're starting to sound like a nazi. they lost the war wade. years ago. WW2 to be exact. look it up.
just because you don't approve of or agree with something doesn't warrant name calling past junior high school, and it shouldn't warrant it then, but we give children a break because they don't know any better (which after a certain age should be attributed to poor parenting, since even junior high kids know better!). son, i just can't determine what your excuse is.
all you have managed to do is to try an berate me, all-the-while making yourself look like a giant ass for the whole world to see. keep the comments coming wade, and it'll just keep getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger....
have you offered a helping hand wade? have you offered the youth of your community any positive alternatives? or do you just yell out your car window trying to belittle them as well?
you want to know why the world hates america wade? go back and re-read your posts- and if you still don't get it after that- oh wait- you do get it- much more than i do! i almost forgot!!! but i'm starting to digress to your level of thinking- if, after that, you still don't get it, i doubt you ever will.
happy monday wade! and god bless!
your pal,
greeze
wade had this to say earlier, while trying to defend his honor: Anyone who spends their time following graffiti "art" has too much time on their hands.
what about people who just follow blogs about graffiti art?
notice i didn't put quotes around the word art? someone's view of what is, and what isn't art, is purely objective. it looks like wade was using his opinions to try and speak for others again. damn.
- derek's not really anonymous
If it's commissioned, it's art. If it's some asshole spray painting someone else's property without permission, it's graffiti. End of story.
I'm coming to NYC soon!
Better watch your backs, graffiti chumps!
With love,
Grey Ghost!!!
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