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‘Chaos’

‘Chaos’
One of at least nine cars vandalized Monday, July 7 in Newport. This one was beside Sherman-Campbell Funeral and Cremation Services, which is at 423 W. Second St. MINER PHOTO|DON GRONNING

Two juveniles of four in custody after overnight vandalism to city

NEWPORT — Two teenage boys are in custody, charged with first-degree malicious mischief, a felony, after an overnight vandalism spree in which at least three buildings and nine cars across Newport were damaged Sunday, June 6.

The boys, both 15 years old, made their first appearance remotely from Martin Hall in Medical Lake Monday, July 7. District Court Judge Robin McCroskey set a $5,000 bond for each of them.

Two other juveniles thought to have been involved are still at large, according to a news release from the Newport Police Department.

Victims reported shattered or cracked windows and windshields, impact marks and dents or rocks found inside their vehicles, according to court papers. Mayor Keith Campbell, whose cousin was one of the victims, said at the Newport City Council’s meeting Monday, July 7 that the damages were estimated to total at least $21,000, if not double that.

“It was all night long, it was all over the city,” Campbell said at the meeting. “And it was just chaos.”

The Newport Police Department started receiving reports of the vandalism around 7:16 a.m. that day, stating that rocks had been thrown through the windows of about a dozen cars by West Second Street. Later that morning, NPD received another report around 11:04 a.m. of rocks thrown through several windows of a house by North Craig Avenue.

Around 4 a.m., a Ring camera installed at Sherman- Campbell Funeral and Cremation Services, 423 W. Second St., captured the juveniles vandalizing one of office manager Laurie Garcia’s two cars. In the minute-long video, two of them repeatedly throw a rock at a passenger- side window, then the windshield, before running away down Spokane Avenue. Garcia’s other car was also vandalized, so she and her husband must now pay two insurance deductibles.

“Seeing it targeted and severely damaged, on video no less was devastating,” Garcia wrote in an impact letter. “What’s worse is the audio from that video. I cannot get the sound of it out of my head. The laughter, the destruction, and the complete disrespect were disturbing and chilling.”

Garcia has insurance that covers at least some of the damages, but she noted in her letter that other victims might not. She ended her letter with a request that the juveniles be held accountable and that restitution be pursued.

Earlier in the letter, Garcia described one of the cars as her “forever car,” a rare collector’s model with only 10,757 units ever sold in the country that she had worked and saved to purchase over several years. Another victim, an 18-year-old who requested not to be identified, said the same of her car, which she had worked for since she was 14 to purchase for college. The $30,000 vehicle was vandalized less than two months later.

The windshield alone, the 18-year-old said, will cost up to $1,500 in repairs. Like Garcia, the 18-year-old is pressing charges against the juveniles, though she knows their sentences are “probably not going to be that harsh” due to their ages.

“I don’t hope for anything bad to happen to them,” the 18-year-old said of the suspects. “I mostly hope that they can use this as the opportunity to change their lives and turn it around before they end up doing damage that isn’t as easily fixed as a car.”

Besides cars, the juveniles allegedly vandalized buildings, including James A. Sewell and Associates at 600 W. Fourth St. and the Pend Oreille Playhouse at 236 S. Union Ave.

James A. Sewell and Associates reported a rock thrown through one window, damaging a conference table and a fridge. The engineering firm’s survey vehicle also sustained a dent and damage to both front windows. Around 1:15 a.m., the Pend Oreille Playhouse’s cameras captured the juveniles kicking the doors of outbuildings.

As mayor, Campbell said the vandalism was “frustrating.” Ensuring public safety is a goal of his and the city’s, but cases like these make the public feel unsafe — a sentiment shared by the Newport City Council at their meeting Monday, July 7. He believes the state of Washington should be “tougher” on the juveniles, regardless of their records.

“After the arraignment, I felt bad for the parents. I felt bad seeing what they have to deal with now,” Campbell said at the meeting. “But as I’ve said, and I’ve been consistent, is justice needs to be served.”

Through further investigation and the videos provided by the public, NPD identified the two juveniles in custody with the assistance of the Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office. NPD advises victims or those with additional information to call dispatch at 509-447-3151.


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