School graffiti suspects nabbed

BLAIRSTOWN TWP. | Police arrested two teens who admitted spray-painting obscenities, anatomy drawings, anarchy symbols and a swastika on the North Warren Regional school campus during a vandalism binge three weeks ago.

Damage is estimated to be at least $6,000.

The 15-year-old sophomore boys began the new school year under suspension, and their juvenile delinquency reports will go through Warren County's family court, police said Thursday.

It was the second pair of students arrested by police in connection with two major vandalism incidents last month at the grades 7 through 12 school.

Earlier, police arrested 18-year-old Kevin Simonsen and a 15-year-old boy on charges they broke into the football field press box Aug. 8 and trashed the concession stand -- one week before the early morning Aug. 15 spray-painting incident.

Blairstown police Sgt. Stephen Losey, the investigating officer, said the anarchy symbols -- a circle with an "A" in it -- led them to a group of students known to have the symbols on their books and in their lockers. From there, police narrowed it down to two students, who admitted the vandalism, he said.

Losey said that although the teens charged in the two incidents were in different grades and didn't know one another, "We've always had people trying to outdo each other there."

Instead of the usual speech introducing himself to students, new North Warren Superintendent Brian Fogelson planned to mention the incidents in a talk focusing on the importance of school pride.

Losey said the vandals weren't targeting any particular individuals or groups, and they related to police that they were "bored and had nothing better to do."

All four teens are charged with criminal mischief.

"I would hope that everyone understands that there are repercussions for acts that take place down there, and that they are there to learn and not bring violence or any kind of criminal activity within the school," Losey said.

Blairstown police officer Nicholas Falcicchio did many of the follow-up interviews that led to the arrests.

The spray painting -- more than 90 items, in different colors -- was on three of the four sides of the school building, with most letters at least 2 feet tall, police said.

Fogelson said the incidents galvanized students.

"Most of the kids that came in were absolutely disgusted that somebody would be that nasty to the school," he said. "It's not something that we are going to tolerate."

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