City Councilmember-elect Jefferson “Zuma Jay” Wagner Friday morning found his van covered in paintball marks and tossed eggs. The vehicle was parked in front of his apartment building on Pacific Coast Highway. Wagner contacted the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station. This will be the fourth incident he has reported to the authorities since he announced his candidacy last year.
Wagner said he believes the vandalism was politically motivated, noting the vehicles parked near his had not been touched. He said he is not intimidated.
“I just won’t drive my nice car around,” Wagner said. “I have an old van. They can trash that.”
In December, Wagner, who owns a home in Latigo Canyon outside the city limits, received an anonymous letter saying he must not return to his Latigo home or else the district attorney would prosecute him. The letter, and a second one sent a month later, made additional allegations. Last month, the word “dope” was spray painted in several places on his surf shop. The three incidents are under investigation by a Malibu/Lost Hills detective.
“I think it’s sad for the city that there is someone who would do this,” said Wagner, who believes the four incidents are related.
He added he thought the harassment would end after he was elected on Tuesday.
“I thought they would see the light, leave me alone, and stop the hassling,” Wagner said. “But I guess this is something I’ll have to deal with.”
—Jonathan Friedman