Sign for Black Lives Matter is defaced; 3 cited

A Ventura County sheriff ’s employee is on leave and an employee of the county district attorney’s office has resigned after they were cited in connection with the vandalism of a Black Lives Matter banner in Thousand Oaks, authorities said.

The incidents were captured on a surveillance camera that was installed to record anyone trying to damage or remove the sign — a tarp emblazoned with the letters “BLM” that has for weeks been displayed along a fence on Westlake Boulevard, according to the Ventura County Sheriff ’s Office.

Authorities say detectives saw an image of one of the vandalism suspects posted by the banner’s owner on social media and recognized the man as 60year-old Darrin Stone, who has worked with the Sheriff ’s Office since 2005.

Authorities allege Stone, who is assigned as a nonsworn service technician at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility in Ventura, slashed the sign with a knife on June 13 and again last Friday.

He has been cited in the vandalism and is now on paid leave pending the results of criminal and administrative investigations, according to the Sheriff ’s Office.

“We will not tolerate unlawful or unethical behavior by anyone employed by our agency,” Sheriff Bill Ayub said in a statement.

Also cited in the vandalism was Craig Anderson, 59. Authorities say he cut the sign down on May 31 but left it behind after noticing the camera.

Anderson was employed as a non-sworn investigative assistant with the county district attorney’s office but has since resigned, officials said.

He had been on the job for about four months.

A third man, 58-year-old Jeffrey Moore, also was cited in the vandalism after sheriff’s officials said he spraypainted graffiti on the sign on June 11.

Moore, Anderson and Stone are all Thousand Oaks residents, authorities said.