Vandalism

The quiet of the night has been shattered in recent days across the east San Gabriel Valley by vandals shooting out the windows of more than 300 vehicles. Their primary target: SUVs. As if things weren't bad enough for owners of the gas guzzlers during this time of skyrocketing fuel prices, someone is using BBs or pellets to smash their windows in an area ranging from Azusa to Chino Hills.

A 74-year-old man dubbed the oldest vandalism suspect ever arrested by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department — after authorities said he put "slap tags" in Metropolitan Transportation Authority buses — pleaded no contest Thursday to misdemeanor vandalism. John Scott appeared in a downtown courtroom wearing a nylon Nike sweat suit and black loafers and carrying a vinyl Samsonite briefcase bearing his trademark orange and black bumper sticker that asks "Who is John Scott?"

A judge on Friday dismissed a felony vandalism charge against the son of Britain's lord chancellor. But Orange County Superior Court Judge Everett W. Dickey left intact the most serious allegations against Alastair Irvine, who allegedly waged a campaign of intimidation against the boyfriend of a woman who rejected his advances. Irvine is scheduled to go to trial on Oct. 21.

Police on Thursday were seeking the public's help in locating the vandal who has caused an estimated $30,000 worth of damage by shooting at the windows of two commercial buildings. The vandalism has occurred over the past four months at the Mitsubishi Motors and Panasonic Corp. buildings on the 6400 and 6500 blocks of Katella Avenue, police said.

In an effort to curb vandalism, particularly by teen-agers, the City Council Tuesday passed a resolution establishing rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone damaging city property. The reward system, which will take effect in mid-June, will pay tipsters $50 for information when the damage is estimated to be less than $500, and $100 when it is greater. The city will be reimbursed by the vandals.

Even though vandals haven't been plaguing Irvine schools, the school board will adopt a policy to handle students caught damaging school property. Under the policy, parents in the Irvine Unified School District could be billed for vandalism caused by their students. The students could have their grades, diplomas and transcripts withheld if the damage isn't paid for. The policy merely puts into words the practice already in place among school officials, said Jerry Rayl, assistant to Supt.

Graffiti and profanity spray-painted at the home of the head of a group that opposes illegal immigration is being investigated as vandalism and a hate crime, police said Monday. Barbara Coe, 68, returned to her Castle Lane home about 3 p.m. Sunday and discovered profanity scribbled on the sidewalk and the words "racist" and "anarchy" sprayed on her garage. Huntington Beach Police Lt. Luis Ochoa said the vandalism occurred between 1 and 3 p.m., but no one saw the incident.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich on Tuesday asked the county Human Relations Commission to join in investigating the ransacking and burglary of a Sylmar house last week during which anti-Semitic symbols and remarks were scrawled on the walls. The vandalism ranged from bleach poured on carpeting to swastikas spray-painted on walls and posters and the word "Jew" painted on a bedroom mirror.

Police arrested five Newport Harbor High School students Tuesday in connection with an incident in which tar, manure and spray paint were used to vandalize Corona del Mar High School. The five 17-year-old boys are suspected of painting lockers, damaging benches, and dumping tar and manure in the school quadrangle. Police say the words "N.H. No. 1" and some mild obscenities were painted with tar and oil on the ground and lockers.

Some 7,700 residents were left without electricity for a short time Saturday afternoon after a power station was damaged by vandalism, Department of Water and Power officials said. An iron bar was tossed into electrical equipment at a substation in the 9000 block of Van Nuys Boulevard about 1:15 p.m., DWP spokeswoman Treva Miller said. The bar caused several circuits to short out. Power to half the customers was restored within two minutes, Miller said. The rest had to wait until 2:30 p.m.