Man arrested for alleged "187" graffiti targeting Porterville police

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A man is behind bars, accused of vandalizing a police vehicle and other areas of Porterville with threatening messages.

"You don't do this to our cops, you don't damage our property and you don't threaten us. We take it very seriously, when you threaten us you threaten our community," says Porterville Police Chief Bobby Rader.

39-year-old Adam Ibarra, who has an extensive criminal history, is accused of tagging a Porterville police car and other locations across the city.

Action News legal analyst Tony Capozzi says this could land him a lengthy prison sentence, "These crimes are egregious, he has committed vandalism on police cars on property."

Images released by Porterville Police show the threats Ibarra is accused of spray-painting, "The graffiti on the car was 187 which is the penal code for murder.. As detectives got into the area and noticed numerous other sites that had been tagged, with the same 187 and even 187 on a cop," explains Chief Bobby Rader.

Chief Rader says detectives spent days gathering surveillance video and adds Ibarra has a lengthy criminal history, "I'm holding his rap sheet in my hand and it is 24 pages long and it begins in 2001, he is only 39, do the math. His exploits include armed robbery, assaults on peace officers, assaults with deadly weapons, vehicle theft, he is well known for leading law enforcement on violent and reckless vehicle pursuits, firearms possessions. He was just released from prison in December of 2025 for firearms possessions."

Capozzi continues, "Committing these offenses on behalf of a gang that is going to add another five years on his sentence. He is looking at anywhere between 10 to 15 years in prison."

Ibarra is expected to appear in court at the South County Justice Center on June 25.

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