Three teens arrested on suspicion of defacing American flags

OCEANSIDE (CNS) – Three 18-year-olds were behind bars Tuesday on suspicion of defacing American flags in a North County senior housing neighborhood last summer.

Ruben Jimenez, Daniel Moran and Breanna Alexis Serrato allegedly spray-painted the three flags — writing “(expletive) USA” on one of them — in the 3800 block of Rosemary Way in Oceanside late on the evening of July 18, according to Lt. Leonard Cosby. A surveillance camera captured images of the crimes, he said.

Moran and Serrato were taken into custody this morning at a home in the 3800 block of Mesa Drive. Jimenez was already in custody on unrelated charges when he was arrested in the vandalism case.

The suspects are scheduled to be arraigned Thursday afternoon, according to jail records.