Someone with a grudge and a mysterious goo just stuck Patrick Henry High School with a massive repair bill. More than 200 door locks across the San Carlos campus were deliberately sabotaged in the middle of the night, and now officials are staring at an estimated $70,000 in damage. A $1,000 reward is on the table for anyone who helps catch whoever did it.
The vandal hit the 57-acre campus at 6702 Wandermere Drive overnight on May 26, between 1 and 3 a.m., according to investigators. Surveillance video shows a person arriving and leaving in a sedan during that window. Now school staff and Crime Stoppers are asking neighbors to comb through doorbell and dash-cam footage from that time and share anything that might help.
Reward On The Table, Damage Adds Up Fast
San Diego County Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the person responsible, as reported by 10News. Investigators say the suspect smeared a sticky substance into each lock, causing permanent damage that means the hardware has to be replaced, not just cleaned out.
The tally is ugly: more than 200 locks across the campus will need to be swapped out, with the total cost of repairs estimated at about $70,000.
What Investigators Have Released
Detectives say the vandalism was captured on school surveillance cameras and that officials have distributed images and a suspect description to the public. Tipsters can contact the San Diego Unified School District Police at 619-291-7678 or submit an anonymous lead through San Diego County Crime Stoppers, which accepts web and mobile-app tips.
Crime Stoppers is handling reward payments for information that leads to an arrest.
Suspect Description And Getaway Car
According to 10News, the suspect is described as a male wearing a face covering, a hooded sweatshirt with a letter "B" logo, baggy pants and sneakers. Authorities say the person arrived in a 2010-2020 sedan with tinted windows and left before officers could get to the scene.
Investigators are asking neighbors to check doorbell and dash-cam footage from the overnight hours to help identify the vehicle or suspect.
Campus Fallout And Repair Crunch
The damage hits dozens of exterior and interior doors across the campus, leaving school maintenance crews scrambling to secure entrances and catalog which locks were affected. Replacing locks on hundreds of doors is time-consuming and expensive, so district staff are prioritizing safety while they map out repair plans.
Officials have not yet announced a timeline for when all the locks will be replaced.
How To Share Tips
Anyone with information was asked to call the San Diego Unified School District Police at 619-291-7678 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 888-580-8477, or to visit San Diego County Crime Stoppers for web and mobile tips.
Investigators noted that images from the school's security cameras may help identify the car or suspect and urged residents to check any overnight footage from May 26 for potential leads.
