Church Vandalism Tied to 3 Teens Held in School Fires

Charges of burglary and vandalism of a Roman Catholic church have been added to the arson charges against a group of Escondido teen-agers accused of setting four fires at three Escondido schools that caused more than $1 million in damages.

As hearings began Monday to determine whether the teen-agers will be tried as juveniles or adults, Deputy Dist. Atty. Karen Walter added a break-in and fire at the Church of the Resurrection to charges against the teen-agers. They already face charges in four fires last month at Escondido High School, Orange Glen High School and Del Dios Middle School.

Walter said the mid-February break-in at the church involved three of the four teen-agers. A church window was broken, crosses outside the church were inverted, property inside the building was rifled and outside lights were unscrewed, she said.

Walter argued Monday that the youths--three boys and a girl--should be tried as adults because of the costly effects of their acts and the gravity of the crimes with which they are charged.

The youths, two 16-year-olds and two 17-year-olds, are also charged in connection with two fires at Escondido High, one on March 10 that caused about $55,000 damage to a portable classroom and one March 18 that destroyed the 5,000-square-foot cafeteria and dramatic arts structure, and caused an estimated $900,000 in damages.

Later the night of March 18, it is charged, the teen-agers set a $223,000 fire in a classroom at Orange Glen, then stopping off at a 7-Eleven store to buy lighter fluid that they used to set another fire in a portable classroom at Del Dios that caused about $40,000 in damages.

The four youths, handcuffed in pairs, were led into the chambers of Judge Sheridan Reed, presiding judge of the juvenile courts. They remained silent and unmoving during the morning hearing, looking neither at their parents nor at videotapes showing the ravages of the fires they are charged with starting.

Fire Damage Detailed

Reed scheduled an all-day session Wednesday to conclude the fitness hearings for the four--all of whom were represented by attorneys at the Monday session.

Sworn testimony from school officials detailed the damage and inconveniences of the fires, which forced high school students to eat sack lunches instead of normal hot meals, caused the delay of a spring dramatic production at Escondido High because scenery, costumes, lighting and theater equipment were destroyed, and burned the research work and collections of several teachers.

If the youths are tried as juveniles, their maximum penalty would be sentencing to the California Youth Authority until the age of 25. If tried as adults, they could be sentenced to up to six years on each count of arson and to lesser terms on counts of burglary, theft and vandalism.