Eleven Walton High students arrested
Police say they poured paint in the hallways and clogged up toilets
Andy Meinen
Tuesday April 8th, 2008
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DeFUNIAK SPRIGNS ? Police have charged 11 Walton High School students in connection with a break-in and vandalism at the school.
The students all bonded out Tuesday and were released to their parents, said DeFuniak Springs City Marshal Mike Adkinson.
Nine students were charged with burglary and felony criminal mischief for dumping paint in hallways, tearing a security camera out of the wall and throwing it into a pond, and clogging toilets in several bathrooms, lawmen say.
The nine students, all from DeFuniak Springs, are:
Michael Todd Campbell Jr., 17; Beau Rushing, 18; Sean D. Carter, 18; Markus Jiggetts, 17; Ashley Campbell, 19; Samantha J. Brown, 19; Tyler Reisner, 18; Bryant Bowen, 18; and Charles K. Caldwell Jr., 17.
Mathew T. Nall, 17, and Sean Michael Allen, 17, both of DeFuniak Springs, were charged with being a principal to burglary and felony criminal mischief for being lookouts, according to police.
Adkinson said the students pried open a school door late Friday night and dumped ?gallons? of different colored paint in the carpeted hallways and on the walls. Police said they also clogged up several toilets and tapped the nozzles open to flood the bathrooms. The students broke into a shed on campus to get more paint and fertilizer, which they spread throughout the halls, Adkinson said.
School officials said the carpeting in one hallway had to be removed.
The incident was caught on the school?s security camera system, which the students tried to disable by spraying Silly String on the lenses. Investigators worked with school administrators and the school?s resource sheriff?s deputy to identify the students, even though they wore masks.
Adkinson said that some of the students had ?distinctive hairstyles.?
He said he regretted that he and his officers had to arrest high school students, but added that they worked hard to close the case.
?This is unfortunate and we?re not happy about it,? he said. ?It?s just poor judgment on their part.?
Daily News Staff Writer Andy Meinen can be reached at 654-6905.
Well it's final, I guess? 2 of the 11 students are NOT expelled, just suspended until the end of the year. They will still recieve a WHS diploma plus attend two of the four graduation events. The other 9 will also get a WHS diploma, attend two of the four graduation events plus will NOT be expelled either, just suspended till the end of the year. People these are seniors..they're not coming back!! Why suspend them to the end of the year? The charges will be dropped from a felony to a misdemeaner and they will be issued a "deferred prosecution" status from the state attorney's office. But everyone knows it was already planned before the meeting, they just had to go through the motions of the WCSB hearings. Got to love it huh? We'll I hope if my son or daughter unfortunately ever gets in trouble...it will be during an election year.
