A string of vandalism incidents around town center on three nights last week might have been committed by the same people, police say. According to police, a group of four hooded teenagers caught in the act of vandalism evaded a State Police trooper early Wednesday morning on Old Littleton Road and, so far, no arrests have been made.
The first report of vandalism came at 2:05 last Monday morning, Feb. 20. An officer reported that someone had sprayed Silly String, or something similar, on the entrance to the Harvard Public Library and stuffed shrimp into the book drop.
The next morning, Tuesday, at 7:48 a.m., police say, a woman walking by the Bromfield School told police she noticed a broken lower window on the side of the school facing the baseball field. Upon investigation, police report, they found that two commercial-grade windows had been broken with a blunt object and the perpetrator or perpetrators had entered the school.
Interim Superintendent Joe Connelly told the School Committee this Monday the vandals caused $3,339 in damages. Once the vandals were within the school, Connelly said, they rolled cafeteria tables down the steps to the gym, destroying the tables and damaging the steps. The vandals sprayed fire extinguishers, broke the corner off a bulletin board, and shook the trophy cabinets (though nothing in the cabinets was broken), he said. The vandals also used markers to write profanity on some lockers, Connelly said.
Also, said police Sergeant John Coates, the vandals had filled a wheeled barrel with dry goods, as if they intended to remove it from the school, but then left it behind.
The next morning, at 3:09 a.m., police say, an officer discovered that picnic tables from beside the Harvard General Store, park benches from town center, and a few other heavy items were piled up in the road at the intersection of Ayer and Still River roads. Police removed the obstructions, but at 3:52 a.m., a State Police trooper passing through town reported that the pile was back in the road and was even higher than before, police say.
The trooper spotted four teenagers at the scene and chased them down Old Littleton Road, but lost them when they turned down a cross street, according to police. The teenagers were on foot, police say.
One more report of vandalism came at 5:15 that morning. According to police, someone had removed the nets from the soccer goals at the Bromfield School and placed them in the road at the same intersection as earlier that night.
Police are still investigating the incidents and ask anyone with information to contact them. Coates characterized the incidents as “malicious mischief” and said that the heavy items in the middle of the intersection could have caused a serious accident if a tired driver had come through that night.
School Committee member Piali De said Monday night she wondered if the incidents could be used as an “educating moment” for students in the district.
“We can’t just say we fix it, repaint, and life goes on,” De said. “‘Distressing’ does not begin to describe it.”
“I take a very intolerant view of this behavior,” said School Committee Chair Keith Cheveralls. “I find it completely and utterly unacceptable.”
Marty Green contributed to this story.
