by Kenneson 7 Replies latest jw friends
"Teens surrender in Easter vandalism of 3 churches. Students allegedly photographed acts."
In addition to the K.H., the Catholic Church and the Mormon temple were also vandalized with Satanic symbols and epithets.
http://www.signsonsandiego.com/news/metro/20030429-9999_1m29church.html
Sorry. I don't know why the page won't load. Got the story earlier on news index, but the same problem shows up there as well and it's just not resolving the URL anymore.
I found it again, but I guess the best bet is to type it myself. The story is by Irene McCormack Jackson, Union-Tribune Staff Writer
April 29, 2003
"ALPINE--Four Steele Canyon High School students suspected of defacing three churches on Easter morning are facing felony hate-crime charges after turning themselves in when they learned authorities were on their trail.
Detectives tracked down the teens after they tried to develop pictures they took of their actions and a photo clerk called authorities, the Sheriff's Dept. said.
The teens-three boys and a girl, all 16 or 17 years old--surrendered at a sheriff's sttion Friday, Detective Dan Pearce said. They were released to the custody of their parents while the District Attorney's Office determines whether to pursue charges.
"They didn't have any reason," Pearce said about the motive.
Queen of Angels Catholic Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Jehovah's Witnesses Alpine Congregation buildings were defaced. The vandalism ocurred before dawn on Easter, Pearce said.
Parishioners arrived for services on the holiest day of the Christian calendar to find sidewalks, walls and landscaping marked with ketchup and masking tape that spelled out Satanic messages, numbers and symbols as well as hateful statements against believers in God.
"They used ketchup, which in some ways was very schocking because it looked like blood, but in another way ws very good because it could be washed off with some heavy scrubbing," said the Rev. Matt Spahr of Queen of Angels.
"It was all over the wall,s the walks, our sign," he said. "They obviously planned this because they had computer-generated signs, as well."
The vandals also used blue duct tape to spell out messages of hate, he said. In addition, Spahr said, the group had "taken a stuffed animal toy that was a cat and cut it open and then had filled it with ketchup and put a knife in it."
Parishioners who arrived for 6 a.m. services found the mess and saw the cat swinging from the steeple next to a "For Sale" sign that had been placed next to it.
Deputies got a break in the case last Tuesday when the El Cajon film processing clerk called police after he developed pictures showing the vandalism.
An El Cajon officer recognized Queen of Angels church and contacted sheriff's deputies. Detectives sent pictures of the vandals via e-mail to high school resource officers throughout East County last week. The officer at Steele Canyon recognized them.
On Friday, after the Alpine Sun published a story reporting the vandalism and the students' pending arrests, the suspected vandals turned themselves in.
"The main kind on this...he basically realized that the jig was up on this, so he ran to Dad and said, 'I have to talk to you. I did something stupid,' " Pearce said. The boy's father arranged for everyone to give up.
"I don't think they would have turned themselves in if it hadn't been in the paper," said Pearce.
The teens are not members of the churches.
The vandals wrote messages such as "Satan Lives Here," "You're a Dying Breed," and "Die, Die Yuppie Scum." They also drew pentagrams, the number 666 and scribbled vulgarieties ridiculing people who believe in God.
"Some things you can chalk up to being a kid, but it's the hatefulnesss of this that is really distressing," said Spahr. "If it had just been ketchup being thrown around that would be one thing, but they had to go out of their way to say some mean things." "
Try this link ---
http://www.eastcountyonline.com/display/inn_alpine_sun/news01.txt
I wonder who the PO is now in the hall? Anyone know?
The latest on this story is entitled "Student body apologies for vandalism at 3 churches." The student body wants the churches to know that what a small group of students did is not representative of the school's views on religion.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20030503-9999_2m3apology.html
Detectives tracked down the teens after they tried to develop pictures they took of their actions and a photo clerk called authorities, the Sheriff's Dept. said.
Sounds like these guys ought to be on the next episode of "America's Dumbest Criminals". LOL
I was not aware that you can "vandalize" anything with ketchup, blue duct tape, and a stuffed toy.
Sounds more like a prank than vandalism to me.
Someone please build a mall for these bright but bored kids to waste away in.
Eric
Too bad that they vandalized the other churches - mormon and catholic. JW's always want to feel "victimized" or "persecuted". They must be pissed!
Oh - by the way - spraying ketchup all over the place is actually horrible vandalism. It soaks through drywall, and permenantley stains walls / ceilings. I worked for a restoration company once.... I saw a persons home who had it covered in ketchup, and cost the insurance company thousands and thousands of dollars just for us to clean it, nevermind the painters that had to come in.
