3 Vandals Paint Themselves Into Corner--and Custody : Crime: Los Alamitos police follow a trail of yellow footprints from at least 20 dye-splattered cars to 15-year-old suspects’ front door.

A police department dispatcher called the Monday morning caper “really foolish.” No doubt three dye-splattered juveniles accused of malicious mischief would readily agree.

The three 15-year-olds--who police say spent several hours in the early morning darkness randomly spewing red, black and yellow dye over at least 20 vehicles in and around the 10800 block of Oak Street--wound up being their own worst enemies. They left behind an unmistakable yellow trail of footprints.

“They made the mistake of walking through the paint and then some wet grass,” said Los Alamitos police dispatcher Drake Letcher. “The officers followed their yellow footprints right up to their front doorway. They could hardly miss them.”

Officers Stephen Trentini and David Stauffer and Cpl. Rod McKenzie were sent out to the Oak Street residential area shortly before 7:30 a.m. when a resident found his car paint-splashed. Then police got more reports, an estimated 20 vandalized cars in all, Letcher said.

One of the cars, owned by a man in the paint business, contained some plastic bottles of dye used to color paint. The suspects apparently got into the unlocked car, grabbed the dye and the pranks were underway, Letcher said.

“It was just random vandalism, that’s all it was,” Letcher said. “It was just local juveniles out performing high jinks. Nasty high jinks, but high jinks none the less.”

Letcher said the juveniles, who were not identified, admitted the mischief when confronted. They were taken to the police station, booked for malicious mischief and released to their parents, who will be responsible for damages to the vehicles, Letcher said.

“The boys can expect to be placed on probation,” Letcher said.