Two Teens Arrested For Spray-Painting UCLA's Bruin Bear During Rivalry Week
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Two teenagers have been arrested on allegations they spray-painted UCLA's famous Bruin Bear mascot with USC colors ahead of last month's big rivalry football game.
Louie Torres, 19, and Willie Johnson, 18, were arrested Wednesday morning at their homes by officers with the UCLA Police Department. The suspects are not students at either university, police said.
They were booked into the Los Angeles County jail on charges of felony vandalism and conspiracy.
In the week prior to the UCLA-USC game on Nov. 17, the Bruin Bear was placed in a chalkboard box for protection, as is common amid a long history of rivalry week shenanigans perpetrated by students at both schools.
According to police, at around 2 a.m. on Nov. 13, the suspects' pried open the box and spray painted the bear with USC's cardinal-and-gold colors.
The damage was estimated at $15,000, police said. A motive for the damaged was unclear. Police did not disclose how they identified Torres and Johnson as the suspects.
The two are being held on $10,000 bail.