At least two historic murals at Ortega Park on Santa Barbara’s Eastside were defaced by graffiti earlier this month. The graffiti, which was found scrawled over the park’s mural-covered structures, is consistent with references to known Westside gangs. These include the initials “WS” and “TLS,” which are listed in previously published reports on gang activity in Santa Barbara.
Andi Garcia, who runs the Ortega Park Steering Committee, said she has noticed an uptick in graffiti since August, with incidents occurring at the park roughly once a month.
One of the defaced murals, Niños del Maíz, depicts three Chicano agricultural workers and a child reading a book that says “Respeto Cultura” (“respect culture”). Surrounding the figures is a dense patchwork of botanical imagery, including ears of corn and grape vines. The other mural, Codex Cospi, depicts “god-figures and hieroglyphics” from the Codex Cospi, an Aztec manuscript. As of December 16, both murals have been partially restored.