LEWISTON – A Lewiston man and an Auburn teenager were arrested Thursday morning and charged with criminal mischief in connection with $20,000 in spray-painting graffiti damages across the Twin Cities.

Police said an article in Thursday’s Sun Journal resulted in a tip that led to the identities of the pair. The arrests cracked a case police have been working on for several weeks, and investigators say more arrests are likely.

Lucas “Evidence” Carroll, 20, of Summer St., was arrested at about 8 a.m. A 17-year-old boy from Auburn was also charged with criminal mischief. Police said both suspects have cooperated with investigators and voluntarily led them to some of their artwork around the city.

Beginning early Thursday, police officers Matt Cashman and Trevor Campbell began fielding calls regarding the upsurge in graffiti across Lewiston and Auburn, police said.

Both officers had been searching for the suspects accused of spray painting the words “Evolve” and “Evidence” on more than 50 pieces of property.

The pair is accused of tagging their street names on businesses, vacant buildings, railroad trestles and even the top of a building at the Bates Mill Complex.

“Someone read the article in the newspaper and called us with the tip that led to the arrests,” said police Lt. Michael McGonagle.

The graffiti problem extends beyond the two suspects arrested on Thursday, police said. In several instances, the words “Evidence” and “Evolve” were defaced by other spray-painters who wrote over the words with profanities.

Business owners and mill operators have bemoaned the increase in graffiti, saying the spray paint is ugly, scares away patrons, and costs hundreds or thousands of dollars in cleanup and added security.

“Graffiti vandals believe their actions cause no harm,” said Lewiston police Chief William E. Welch. “The reality is, graffiti hurts everyone in the neighborhood. It is an invitation to other criminal behavior.”

In Auburn, the new batch of graffiti was sprayed on buildings around Great Falls Plaza. In Lewiston, buildings along Canal, Lisbon and Bates streets have been particularly hard hit. More recent appearances of “Evidence” and “Evolve” have appeared under the train trestle on Riverside Street. The names also were painted on the sides of buildings on neighboring streets.

Police said the search for more suspects was continuing on Thursday.

“Graffiti is something for which I have zero tolerance,” Welch said.