A 102-year-old man in a wheelchair from Oakland, California, is being threatened with a fine after failing to remove graffiti painted on his fence by vandals.
Victor Silva’s home is repeatedly targeted by spray-painting criminals in this crime-ridden city, and in his old age there is nothing he can do to stop it. Instead of helping Silva, who has lived there for 80 years, aucklandcity officials handed him a certificate of appreciation.
Earlier this month, Silva received a notice requiring him to remove the latest graffiti on his backyard fence by March 19, according to KTVU. Failure to do so will result in a $1,100 fine, plus an additional $1,277 for each failed re-inspection. report.
“It was so ridiculous, it was like a joke. When you’re driving around town and you see graffiti everywhere, you don’t know what to say,” said his daughter-in-law, Elena Silva. told local media.
Auckland City is currently searching for a 102-year-old man in a wheelchair.
His crime? He was unable to remove all the graffiti painted all over the house by the thugs.
Victor Silva Sr. will be fined $1,100, plus an additional $1,277 for each failed re-examination.
this person is… pic.twitter.com/wFkdMAkQrs
— End Wakeness (@EndWokeness) March 27, 2024
At over 100 years old, he continued to paint almost regularly when he was still young.
“I grabbed a roller and a paintbrush and just painted. I was a contractor so it was pretty easy,” he said.
He is confined to a wheelchair, which makes it even more difficult for him to perform his job.
“I’m going to be 103 in about two months, so that’s slowed me down a little bit,” Silva said.
His 70-year-old son, Victor Silva Jr., is now cleaning up as much of the vandalism as possible.
Silva Jr. told the station, “Even if I draw a picture, it’s immediately graffitied again, so it’s difficult to keep doing it.”
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A city-owned utility box just up the street from Silva’s home is also covered in graffiti, but the city appears to be more concerned about fining elderly vandalism victims.
The Silva family also owns a small business, which has been broken into three times within the past year, Silva Jr. said.
When a 70-year-old man calls 911 in the event of an incident like this, he says he is “put on hold every time.”
“So it’s hard to understand where our tax dollars are being spent. They can’t answer 911, but can they bother you with the fence?” he said. .
When asked by a KTVU reporter how he managed to live to be 103 years old, Silva replied: Just keep breathing and be well behaved. ”
His son added: [are] Other 100 year olds being harassed like this too. Auckland must change. The system is not working. ”
