A man who authorities say is a documented gang member has been arrested after he allegedly gave kids as young as 14 gang tattoos as a recruiting tool.

Brahin Valencia, 28, of Thousand Oaks, was arrested Thursday by deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.

He became the subject of an investigation in December after deputies began noticing several teens and juveniles with “visible gang tattoos” in and around Thousand Oaks.

Evidence was collected that connected the tattoos to Valencia, who sheriff’s officials said was giving them to kids between the ages of 14 and 16 as a way to recruit them to join the gang.

Valencia is currently on parole from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and on Thursday, deputies conducted a parole search of his home and recovered additional evidence linking him to the tattoos.

He was arrested and booked into the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility in Ventura where he awaits charges for street gang solicitation, participation in a street gang and unlawful tattooing of minors.

He’s due in court on Jan. 22 and is being held on $100,000 bail.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Romario Chavez at 805-797-7134. Anonymous calls regarding gang activity can be made to Sheriff’s Dispatch at 805-654-9511.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office says it takes a “zero-tolerance stance” against gang violence and it will pursue anyone involved in gang-related crime.

On Dec. 22, an alleged gang member from Fillmore was arrested on suspicion of giving a 16-year-old a gang tattoo. Earlier this month, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office filed felony gang solicitation charges against 31-year-old Fabian Garibay in that case.