Ventura teenager found responsible for 2021 arson of local school that caused $1 million worth of damage

VENTURA, Calif. – The Ventura County District Attorney's Office announced on Friday that the second of two teenagers was found responsible for a 2021 fire at Mound Elementary School that caused $1 million worth of damage.

Two female teenagers entered the campus around 1 a.m. on July 22 and threw rocks at a classroom window in attempts to get in, according to Deputy District Attorney Christina Catapang.

One of the girls climbed through the shattered window and let the other one into the classroom, she added.

One of the teenagers lit an American flag on fire in the classroom, and the second videotaped the incident and posted a video of the flag and school burning on social media, according to Catapang.

The fire caused more than $1 million of damage to the school.

One teenager admitted her role in the fire in December and was sentenced to a grant of deferred entry of judgement for 36 months, as well as ordered to pay restitution to the Ventura Unified School District for the damage, Catapang said.

The second teenager was sentenced on Friday to 30 days of electronic monitoring with 60 days stayed pending further review, she said, adding that this is in addition to the 179 days the teenager has already served in the county Juvenile Justice Center.

A restitution hearing is set for June 10.