WARREN - When Raymond Battaglia drove to the St. Vincent DePaul store Friday morning, he felt a sense of frustration.
The front and side of the building at 2415 Niles Road S.E. had been spray painted with gang symbols.
Next door at Williams Dental Service, 2431 Niles Road, the same symbols were spray painted on its front door and pillars.
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Tribune Chronicle / Raymond L. Smith
Raymond Battaglia, manager of the St. Vincent DePaul Store on Niles Road S.E., stands next to the store, which was marked with graffiti overnight Thursday.
Across the road, the garage doors at Famous Supply, 2436 Niles Road, and one of the side buildings also were spray painted with symbols.
"This is the second time in the five years that I've been here that this building has been hit," Battaglia said. "The last time we found the spray paint can on the ground. I guess they ran out of paint.''
At that time, the people involved not only spray painted the store, but also the dining hall, which is across the street. They also damaged some windows.
After the previous tagging, St. Vincent DePaul repainted the buildings from a dull grayish white to a light ocean blue.
"We will have to paint again," Battaglia said with a shrug Friday.
Battaglia had not heard from St. Vincent's insurance company as of Friday afternoon, so he does not know when the building will be repainted.
The people who tagged the building apparently looked at the lock, turning it over, but they did not damage it, according to Battaglia.
"This was done in the middle of the night, because no one saw anything," Battaglia said. "It was gangs. Where are the parents? Why aren't these kids at home?"
Vanessa Stewart, an office manager at Williams Dental who was unlocking the door Friday morning, said the office already had plans to move.
"We serve underprivileged residents, and this is what is done to us," she said. The dental office has a "For Sale" sign out front.
Warren police Sgt. Jeff Cole said there is no evidence of an influx of gang activity in the city. In addition, Cole said there has not been an increase of criminal damaging reports.