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Parents outraged at school vandalism
By
Nicole Papageorge
Story Created:
Nov 2, 2009 at 7:17 PM EDT
Story Updated:
Nov 2, 2009 at 7:17 PM EDT
BONITA SPRINGS - Parents are disgusted after vandals break into an elementary school causing $100 thousand worth of damage.
"I think its awful," says mom Lori Parent. "I think it's awful and I hope some justice is done and they're punished."
On Sunday morning, three vandals broke into Bonita Springs Elementary and destroyed nearly 20 classrooms. They flipped over desks, broke computers and televisions. The principal says the school's alarm system didn't work.
"As I understand it there was some problems there," says principal David Short. "But, that's also under review."
On Monday, workers boarded up broken windows and painted over profanity. The Sheriff's Office says they caught 20-year-old Robert Steffen, 19-year-old John Motes and a 17-year-old fleeing the scene Sunday morning.
Deputies apparently caught the 17-year-old suspect just a block away from the school. The homeowner says she heard everything.
"I heard the cops say get down and I locked the door real quick cause I didn't know what was going on" says Beth Cooper.
Deputies used a taser gun to catch Motes and their K-9 unit to catch Steffen.
The principal says the 17-year-old and Motes may have attended school at Bonita Springs Elementary.
"Why in the world would they want to enter a school and do what they did," asks principal Short.
The Bonita Fire Department, Colonial Bank and the Sheriff's Office are collecting donations to help replace some of the kids' crayons and pencils that were lost during the incident.