WESTFIELD — Police last week identified three teenagers they believe caused between $10,000 and $15,000 in late June at the Westfield River Elementary School that is under construction on Franklin Street.
“Charges will be forthcoming,” Police Capt. Steve Dickinson said on July 15.
He said the three suspects were all 15 years old, and said there is a “potential” there were other young people involved.
Police first learned of the vandalism at about 6:15 a.m. on June 25, when construction workers arrived at the job site. It is believed the damage occurred between 10 p.m. on June 24 and 2 a.m. on June 25.
Workers reported glass windows were broken, the walls of the school had been tagged with graffiti, items had been pushed off the roof, and there was other damage in the building’s interior.
Dickinson said spraypaint cans that appear to have been used to tag the walls were found on the site by investigating officers. He also said officers didn’t get a chance to see all the damage because construction workers immediately began cleaning it up after it was discovered.
After the incident, Dickinson said patrol officer John Blascak and Detective Sgt. Christopher Coach began canvassing the neighborhoods near the building site to try and identify the culprits.
“They worked hard. It was old-fashioned policing, going door-to-door,” he said, adding that the pair also examined surveillance camera recordings taken in the area.
After two weeks, they interviewed at least one of the alleged vandals, he said, which led to the identification of the other two.
Charges would be filed in Juvenile Court. While the charges that might be filed against the teenagers are public, their identities, the proceedings and outcomes in Juvenile Court are not.
Construction on the $52.54 million school began in April 2023 and is expected to be completed in November 2024.
The construction site is next to Franklin Avenue Elementary School. The new school will replace both that school and Abner Gibbs Elementary School. Classes are expected to move into the new school after the 2024-25 holiday break, after which the old Franklin Avenue building will be torn down.
