VAN NUYS : Student Held in Threats Painted on School Walls

A 14-year-old Stratford Preparatory School student was charged Friday with the vandalism that prompted a teacher--hoping to solve the crime--to make students write repeated samples of the obscene threats painted on walls at the Van Nuys school.

Administrators of the 48-student, private school are trying to deal with the fallout created by media attention focusing on the teacher’s detective work. But some parents remained angry and held their students out of classes. Los Angeles police said the writing samples had nothing to do with solving the case.

The boy, who was not identified because of his age, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor vandalism and was being held at the Sylmar Juvenile Hall.

Police said the boy surrendered to police Thursday after detectives, using information gathered from other students, told his parents that he might be the vandal.