Five Children Admit to Vandalism Spree At Several Santa Monica Schools

SANTA MONICA (CBSLA) – Five children Monday admitted to vandalizing several Santa Monica schools over the weekend.

The five children, ages 11 to 13, confessed to causing the damage that occurred Saturday evening at John Muir Elementary School located at 2525 Fifth St., Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Ben Drati told CBS2 in an email Monday.

Three of those children also vandalized the Will Rogers Learning Community, located at 2401 14th St., and the Roosevelt Elementary School, located at 801 Montana Ave., according to Drati.

Four of the vandals are students attending SMMUSD schools, Drati said. The fifth is from outside the area.

There was no evidence the damage was a hate crime, Drati disclosed.

"We appreciate the community response on this incident," Drati wrote in a statement. "Tips and leads including social media posts were reported to SMMUSD and SMPD, leading to the swift identification of all involved in these crimes. We appreciate our ongoing partnership with the SMPD.

The worst of the damage occurred at John Muir Elementary and the Santa Monica Alternative School House, which are located on the same campus. The campus suffered significant damage to its library, cafeteria, stage, teacher's lounge, book room and exterior areas.

Pictures showed black and paint splashed and dried on windows and doors, erratic lines spray painted on floors underneath papers strewn on a powdery floor showing several footprints, at least one door with a shattered window pane, and banners ripped off the ceiling of an auditorium.

Fire extinguishers had been set off on books, walls, classroom floors and in the library. Windows were also broken, furniture destroyed, rooms were flooded by leaving water running in sinks, and cans of paint were dumped on exteriors.

Several classrooms were forced to be closed. John Muir Elementary had been set up for a fifth grade graduation ceremony in its cafeteria. School employees had to scramble to clean up before the ceremony Monday morning.

It's unclear if the children will face charges.