Third Calabasas High Vandalism Suspect Enters Plea

A student arrested on suspicion of vandalizing his school with anti-Semitic and racist messages along with two other classmates entered the Juvenile Court equivalent of a not-guilty plea Thursday at a Sylmar courthouse.

The suspect's attorney denied the petition filed by the Los Angeles County district attorney's office, an act that is the same as entering a not guily plea in adult cases, said DA spokeswoman Jane Robison.

The lawyers for the two other boys involvlved in the vandalism case also denied the petition on June 24.

Two of the suspects are 16 and one is 17, said Sharia Davila-Morales of the DA's office. Their names will not be made public because they are minors.

The three students were arrested after reportedly confessing to deputies during an interview that they were responsible for the vandalism, according to authorities. The damage was discovered by Calabasas High maintenance workers on April 23.

In May, the DA's offices filed felony vandalism charges with a hate crime enhancement against the students.

If convicted of the vandalism charges, the three teenagers could each spend up to three years in confinement at a Division of Juvenile Justice facility, Davila-Morales said.

The three students are due back in court on Sept. 8 for a pre-plea report and trial setting date, Robison said. The report helps the judge determine if probation or incarceration would be the most suitable sentence if the teenagers are convicted, Robison said.