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Suspected Vandal Caught 'Red-Handed' After Car Spray-Painting Spree In Orange County

TUSTIN (CBSLA) — A man has been arrested after allegedly spray-painting more than a dozen vehicles in Orange County.

Vehicle after vehicle parked in a quiet neighborhood in Tustin were vandalized with red spray paint early Sunday. Police say the culprit did not seem to target anyone in particular as he walked along Second, Third and Pacific streets hitting a minivan, SUVs and cars.

The owners are still assessing the damage. But police say it wasn't a difficult crime to solve. When officers arrived to the scene, they found a man with his hands covered in red paint.

"As we approached him, we noticed his hands had a red substance on them which we believed to be spray paint," said Tustin Police Lt. Robert Wright. "We asked him about it and he said, 'No, no,' that it was just lipstick."

The suspect, identified as Donald Knowles, was arrested. Police say he lives in the area.

They say they do not yet have an explanation for the tagging spree.

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