Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Vandals Cause $12,000 Damage at School

Authorities are searching for vandals who caused more than $12,000 worth of damage to a library at Highlands Elementary School in Saugus by dumping glue, paint and other material on equipment and furniture.

A music teacher discovered the vandalism when she brought a music class to the library Wednesday morning, said Michele Treu, the school’s office manager. Treu said the library was broken into during the night, with virtually everything in the room damaged.

“There were books on the floor, they put paint all over the carpet and some of the bookcases, they glued the keys of the piano together, our computers’ disk drives were glued,” she said.

The investigation has been turned over to gang prevention deputies at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station because local juveniles have been arrested for similar incidents in the past, said Sgt. Lee White, supervisor of the anti-gang unit. He said no suspects have been arrested in the Highlands incident. They apparently entered the library through a window.

“It was depressing because a lot of hard work went into the library,” Treu said. “A lot of personal things from the kids were on the walls.” Treu said the library has remained closed this week and repairs are expected to begin this weekend.