Peninsula HS Vandalized; PV High Students Arrested

Two adults have been arrested and six juveniles detained in connection with "serious vandalism" at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School on Thursday night, according to a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department's Lomita Station.

School officials implied that the vandalism, which occurred at the Peninsula High football stadium, was the result of a rivalry with Palos Verdes High School.

"Paint was splashed over the bleachers—red paint," sheriff's Lt. John Wolack told Patch. "The track was damaged, I believe also with paint."

School officials estimated the cost of the damage to be $10,000, Wolack said. The Palos Verdes High school colors are red and black.

In a phone conversation with Patch, Peninsula High principal Mitzi Cress said it took about 20 people to clean up the paint.

"Every square inch (of the bleachers) was painted red," she said. "They had to have had ... rollers."

She also said the vandals had painted obscenities on the all-weather track.

"We tried to hide everything we could before the game," Cress said.

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The eight suspects came into the station at 2 p.m., Wolack said. The adults were arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism, while the juveniles were detained and would probably be released into the custody of their parents.

"We got a lot of help from Palos Verdes High School to complete our investigation," Wolack said.

In a message sent to students and parents, Palos Verdes High principal Dr. Nick Stephany identified the eight suspects as students of Palos Verdes High School.

The students "will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for their participation in this crime," Stephany wrote. "These students are not a representation of the entire Sea King community."

"(Over) the last maybe three years, it has just gotten to the point where (the rivalry)'s just become very unhealthy," Cress told Patch. "This is the wake-up call that we as a community ... have all got to come together.

"This has to stop because somebody's going to get hurt."

Cress said she and Stephany and other district officials plan to meet Tuesday to discuss options for toning down the rivalry.

"I think something really good is going to come out of this," she said. "We're going to start the dialogue of what we can do."

The vandalism occurred on the eve of the final regular season varsity football game between the cross-town rivals at Peninsula High. Though Peninsula lost, Cress said that everybody was well-behaved at the game.