Valley Schools Vandalized During the Long Thanksgiving Weekend

Local schools fell victim to an unwelcome Thanksgiving tradition--school vandalism, inflicted while security guards, students and officials were home enjoying the long weekend.

Students at Van Nuys High School returned to classes Monday unable to use the library or health center, both closed after a group of youths broke in and smashed computers and windows, inflicting an estimated $30,000 in damages. In Santa Clarita, roughly $3,000 in equipment and change from vending machines was taken from five classroom buildings at Canyon High School.

School break-ins and vandalism soar during long holidays, said Lt. Walter Nelson of the Los Angeles Unified School District police. Between one and three school police units are responsible for patrolling the whole San Fernando Valley during school holidays.

“A unit can check a school and leave,” Nelson said, “and a minute after they’re gone someone can come in and do some damage.”

It was a Van Nuys High School counselor who found vandals at work at his school about 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Nelson said. The counselor saw four or five youths fleeing the premises as he called police, Nelson said.

One 14-year-old was found by the counselor and neighbors inside the school, and arrested by LAPD officers when they arrived, said LAPD Detective Craig Rhudy.

The youth led police to two 13-year-olds who were arrested Sunday night, Rhudy said. All are students at Fulton Middle School in Van Nuys.

The vandals apparently entered by climbing through broken windows. Once inside, they had free reign, spraying fire extinguishers into offices, smashing 19 personal computers, shattering the glass of five copy machines, cracking 14 typewriter cases and splattering walls with graffiti, said LAUSD spokesman Shel Erlich.

“This is an unusual amount of damage,” Lt. Nelson said. Van Nuys High School “has experienced (break-ins) before, but nothing like this.”

Officials estimate the vandalism tab at Valley schools to be around $1 million per year. Yet less than 40% of the classrooms in the district have alarms, meaning break-ins are frequently not discovered until later.

The break-in at Canyon High School was the latest in a string of similar incidents at the school this semester, said Deputy Tom Gibson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. No damage estimate was available.

“As teachers go through the rooms we’re still finding things missing,” Gibson said.

Sheriff’s officials have no suspects in the case, he said.

A window next to a door on each building was smashed, allowing the person or persons to reach inside and unlock the door, Assistant Principal John Schirmer said. He said they used a torch to cut open some vending machines, and stole a television and VCR from one building.

The classrooms were ransacked, apparently in a search for valuable items, and a fire hydrant was sprayed throughout one room, Gibson said.

He said a similar break-in occurred the weekend before, and there have been four or five such incidents since the school year started. In addition, there was a break-in during the weekend at nearby Sierra Vista Junior High School, but no significant damage was reported.

A man was also arrested Friday after alarms sounded at Madison Middle School in North Hollywood, Nelson said. The man had stolen property with him, Nelson said.