4 Teens to Be Tried as Juveniles in Fires

Four Escondido teen-agers accused of starting school fires and vandalizing a church will be tried in Juvenile Court, Superior Court Judge Sheridan Reed ruled Friday.

The youths, two 16-year-olds and two 17-year-olds, face numerous felony counts of arson, burglary, theft and vandalism in the $1.2-million school fires and church break-in, but sources close to the case indicated Friday that it is unlikely the teen-agers will be tried. A readiness hearing was scheduled for Thursday to determine whether a settlement can be reached in advance of a trial.

Reed explained that she had ordered the four to be tried as juveniles rather than adults, despite the gravity of their crimes, because the juvenile system holds out the “best chance for rehabilitation for the children.”

Deputy District Atty. Karen Walter had argued that the four, one 16-year-old girl and three boys, had committed acts that warrant their treatment as adults.

Crosses Uprooted

Two of the boys allegedly participated in all five incidents, the girl allegedly in two school fires and the third boy in one school fire and the vandalism at an Escondido Catholic Church in which crosses were uprooted and inverted. All four denied the charges but, in interviews with Escondido police and county juvenile authorities, admitted participating in two or more of the incidents.

Names of the four will not be released because they are being tried as juveniles.

“Frankly, the offenses are shocking,” Reed commented, describing their actions. “These children set these fires repeatedly, intentionally and maliciously over a period of time.”

Walter argued that the youths had caused extensive damage, set 15 separate fires at Escondido High School, Orange Glen High and Del Dios Middle School while endangering 58 firemen and displacing more than 2,000 students.

Showed Intent

She said that their acts showed planning and intent, spanning a period of more than three weeks, including a 2 1/2-hour period March 18 when three school fires were set. She added that they stopped to buy lighter fluid and went to two other schools--Oak Hill Elementary and Hidden Valley Middle School--but left when they found that people were present on the campuses.

Defense attorney Richard Mills warned that, if the youths “go into adult jail, they are not going to survive” because they lack the criminal sophistication to cope with adult institutional life.

He called the prosecution’s contention that the youths had criminal sophistication--a factor in being tried as adults--”a joke” because they left signature graffiti at several crime scenes, left fingerprints, drove an easily recognizable car and remained at the scene to watch firefighters.

None of the four teen-agers had a serious criminal record, their attorneys pointed out, and were quiet, shy, unpopular students unlikely to become criminals. The crimes with which they were charged were crimes against property, not people, the defense lawyers argued.

The four will remain in custody at Juvenile Hall, at least until their readiness hearing next Thursday, to decide if they go to trial or agree to sentencing through plea bargaining. As juveniles, the teen-agers will be under Juvenile Court jurisdiction until a verdict is rendered.