School Vandals Cause $20,000 in Damage

Officials at Hueneme High School spent much of Monday cleaning up a mess in the school’s office after vandals broke in and poured a corrosive liquid over four computers, causing up to $20,000 in damage.

The break-in occurred about 2 a.m. Monday, said Sgt. Gary Chenault, a watch commander for the Oxnard Police Department.

Officers responded to a silent alarm and found graffiti scrawled over much of the outside of the building and a window broken in the administrative offices, said Lou Cunningham, director of facilities and school safety for Oxnard Union High School District.

Inside the office, officers found that four computers were severely damaged and that an oily substance had been poured on them.

Nothing was stolen and officials believe the destruction was pure vandalism.

A private hazardous materials crew was called in to clean up the substance at a cost of about $3,500, Cunningham said. He estimated that the damage to the computers ranged from $5,000 to $10,000.

Cunningham was not certain if the graffiti outside the building was done by the same individuals who broke into the building. The school district has seen a recent spate of graffiti and vandalism at Channel Islands High School, he said.