Vandalism at Cabrillo High School now being investigated as hate crime
VANDENBERG VILLAGE, Calif. - The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office says it is investigating a school vandalism case as a possible hate crime.
The Lompoc Unified School District says staff members reported the vandalism early Tuesday morning at Cabrillo High School in Vandenberg Village.
Administrators say the damage included bags of wet cement placed in front of doorways, several broken windows and inappropriate graffiti sprayed on walls, windows, sidewalks and murals. Paint was also splashed on walls, windows and some outdoor dining tables.
The sheriff's office said the vandalism included racial slurs painted on walls, over murals and on windows.
Staff members from the high school and the school district were in the process of repairing and cleaning up the damage as of Wednesday.
“We offer our sincere thanks to the hard-working staff at Cabrillo High and our M&O team for quickly responding to repair and clean up this damage," said Doug Sorum, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, in a press release.
The sheriff's office says anyone with information is asked to contact School Resource Officer Dennis Thomas by email at ddt3055@sbsheriff.org. You can also remain anonymous by calling the sheriff's office tip line at 805-681-4171 or visiting SBSheriff.org.
The incident comes on the heels of another vandalism issue reported at Santa Barbara High School, where police say dozens of students trashed school property as part of a "senior prank gone wrong."
