In what the Santa Rosa Police Department describes as a regrettable incident of felony vandalism, five 10th-grade students from Montgomery High School have been connected to the recent unconscionable damages at the now-defunct Herbert Slater Middle School. According to a social media post by Santa Rosa Police, the troubling discovery was made on Sunday, with estimates of the destruction reaching around $5,000.
The damage encompassed knocked-over trash bins, furniture strewn in the girls' locker room, and a detached bathroom stall door in the boys' locker room. Officials also reported that a skylight shattered in the weight room, a tear appeared in the theater curtain, and a television was damaged within the wrestling room. A crew of district employees, together with an SRPD Field & Evidence Technician, assessed the scene after the incident, which occurred at the Slater campus, still a Santa Rosa City Schools District facility, albeit its closure last June.
Santa Rosa's diligent law enforcement personnel wasted no time in identifying the suspects. They consulted the operational security cameras left behind on the vacant campus, which aided in the swift pinpointing of the young suspects. In a coordinated effort with Montgomery High School officials, the SRPD apprehended the five male students yesterday.
Remaining discreet, officials from the SRPD managed to remove the boys from class without causing a stir, subsequently transporting the minors to Juvenile Hall. The teenagers face serious charges, including felony vandalism, burglary, and conspiracy to commit a felony. Due to their age, information about the suspects or the potential motives remains a matter kept from the public domain, as stated in the Santa Rosa Police's announcement.
