6 Students Suspected of School Vandalism

Sheriff’s deputies have arrested six high school students on suspicion of felony vandalism in connection with an estimated $13,000 in damage done to locks and surveillance cameras at Moorpark High School.

Brandon Zoeller and Ryan Harrison, both 18, and four 17-year-old males were taken into custody Monday and Tuesday, said Sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Nelson. Five of the teenagers are seniors at the school and a sixth is a student at a local continuation school, Nelson said.

The juveniles were released to their parents with citations to appear in court. Zoeller and Harrison were also released pending further investigation, Nelson said.

Authorities say the six entered the school over the weekend and squirted a strong glue into 218 locks, all of which had to be repaired or replaced. The crew also shot paint balls at video cameras throughout the campus in an attempt to obscure their activity, Nelson said.

But they weren’t completely successful, Nelson said, adding, “We caught some images.�

School administrators discovered the damage when they arrived Monday morning. Deputies received several anonymous tips after a $1,000 reward was posted at the school, Nelson said.