Senior prank leads to felony charges against 4 teens accused of vandalizing Danville High School

HENDRICKS COUNTY, Ind. -- Four teens are now facing felony charges in Hendricks County for allegedly vandalizing Danville High School.




Prosecutors believe the case was a senior prank gone wrong. According to court records, the suspects admitted the group planned to wrap the Danville Bell, which is used to celebrate home football games, with Saran Wrap.




Because of a major construction project at the school, the teens couldn't find the bell and told police that's when their prank "went sideways" and turned criminal.




Holding cans of spray paint and jars of Crisco, surveillance cameras showed four suspects damaging Danville High School in late May.




The vandals tagged the baseball field's dugout and painted the brand new turf football field with profanity and crude pictures. They also smeared Crisco on the school's doors and handicapped mechanisms.

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After the district posted the pictures online, an anonymous tip helped identify one of the suspects as Jaquarious Herring.




According to the affidavit filed in the case, Herring confessed to the crime and named his three accomplices as Aaron Moses, Trea Hunt and Caleb Dollar.




All four suspects were arrested and booked into the Hendricks County jail on Monday.




The suspects, who are all 18 and 19 years old, went to school at Tri-West, which is one of Danville's biggest rivals.




After driving together from Pittsboro to Danville High School, the young men admitted they jumped the chain link construction fences and eventually caused more than $65,000 in damage.




"They need to pay for what they've done. They're adults," said neighbor David Shorter.




Still, while not condoning the suspect's destructive behavior, multiple neighbors who live near Danville High were surprised to learn the young men were charged with felony institutional criminal mischief.




"I think a felony is a little much to have on your record for a prank," said Shorter.  "I mean, they did damage and they need to make restitution, but do we want to ruin their whole lives?"




A spokesperson with Danville School District sent a written statement that read:




"The vandalism case in May not only resulted in costly repairs, but it also had an impact on our students. Graduation is meant to be a day of celebration. While our students were still able to enjoy their special day, there's no denying the shadow cast by poor decisions and destructive behavior. There were also countless hours put into cleaning, repairing, and working through construction delays.




While senior pranks are a long-standing tradition for students in many schools, there are clear limits. Breaking and entering, vandalism, and property damage are not "harmless pranks." They are crimes. These acts are illegal in any setting, including schools, and should be treated as such.




Although the individuals involved were not Danville students, consequences were still necessary. It is important for all students and young adults to understand that actions carry responsibility, and when those actions break the law, legal consequences will follow."




Because they are each charged with a level 5 felony, the suspects face a punishment range between one and six years if convicted.



via: https://fox59.com/news/senior-prank-leads-to-felony-charges-against-4-teens-accused-of-vandalizing-danville-high-school/