Nearly two dozen East Paulding High School students were charged with felonies Sunday for allegedly spray-painting "seniors" and "2012″ on dozens of campus buildings and signs.
"A passerby called 911 and explained that multiple subjects dressed in all black were spray painting the school," Paulding County sheriff's Cpl. Ashley Henson said.
"When deputies arrived, multiple male and female subjects ran everywhere," Henson said of the 3:47 a.m. incident.
Among the more than 100 places allegedly tagged by the students: buildings, roadways, signs, two county-owned vehicles and the large brick entranceway to a nearby subdivision.
School officials told Channel 2 that they knew that at least 27 people, mostly students, were involved in the vandalism. So far, 19 have been arrested, Henson told the AJC.
Those 19, who were all 17 or older, were charged with criminal interference with government property, a felony.
"The detective that is working the case is still compiling information and explained to me that more arrests are probable," Henson said Monday.
"The incident is being regarded as a 'senior prank,' by some," Henson said. "Investigators are still trying to determine whether or not all of the individuals involved are in fact students at East Paulding High School."
Clean-up crews spent much of the day Sunday pressure-washing and scrubbing the graffiti off the school property.
“We’ve had senior pranks plenty of times,” East Paulding assistant principal Greg Musgrove told Channel 2, “but nothing to where this much damage has been done.”
The 19 charged are:
- William Patrick, 17
- Zachariah Jame Zazverskey, 17
- Andres Bryce Forn Suttles, 18
- Brandon Lee Owensby, 17
- Christian Armani Browder, 18
- Courtney Lynn Turner, 17
- Courtney Reede Grant, 17
- Deanna Marie Dane, 18
- Devantae Alexander Terrell, 19
- Harold Gene Nowden, 18
- Hunter Harry Ledbetter, 17
- Jamie Raquel Bowder, 18
- Jeremy Rogers, 19
- Joshua Alexendria Pete, 18
- Jovanca Briana Pazmino, 18
- Madison Nicole Wood, 18
- Michael Chance Kornegay, 18
- Olamide Ayobele Akinbohun, 18
- Walter Lewis III, 18
About the Author
