Five Huron High students charged with vandalizing Ann Arbor police car
Five Huron High School students are accused of vandalizing an Ann Arbor police car at the school in March by smashing out the rear window and tail lights with a hammer and pouring feces on the roof, police said.
Charged with malicious destruction of property are 17-year-olds Miles Staton, Stephen Bakarich, Anthony Meneghini, Peter Godfrey and Dillon Pearce, police said.
All were arraigned Wednesday at Washtenaw County Circuit Court.
The damage to the school resource officer's Ford Crown Victoria occurred between 5 p.m. March 5 and 11 a.m. March 6, police said.
The feces was poured out of a cup from a restaurant where the teenagers were hanging out prior to the incident, police said. Officers found a recliner on the car's roof, police said.
Investigators were led to the teenagers after reviewing surveillance video of cars that were at the school during the time of the vandalism, police said.
Comments
Nick
Thu, May 19, 2011 : 10:58 p.m.
There is no doubt Mr Pearce has been involved in terrible grossly immature even cruel behavior if guilty of purposely running over ducklings too now . The problem is I doubt one of us believes at 17 this indicates he is , will or must be a dangerous felony risk or drug user for life . But if you tell him or others long enough , threaten and penalize him or them in a overly cruel and punitive manner that is ridiculous you have lost him ( them ) and the respect of law by a segment of other Citizens . I feel this has happened with him facing charges that represent the possibillity of years in prison along with being a habitual felon with one more mistake . To much of this is going on now . Obviously he is being made a example of . Prosecutors could and should of charged him with lessor offenses that would of offerred him a reasonable chance to fess up to a reasonable punishment and restitution plan after personal reflection .With the penalties the prosecutors office has decided to introduce even if trying to reach a reasonable plea down the road ( a terrible practice utilized all the time ) ....nobody would react with anything but anger , confusion without the possibillity to be able to take responsabillity , aplogize for their actions , make restitution and grow up . I just hope the youngsters reading this remember damaging a Police , Fire , Rescue or Service vehicle could result in a death when somebody needs immeadiate help and that vehicle isnt available . It could be your best friend or you .
gostate
Sat, May 15, 2010 : 5:39 p.m.
@whateverhappenedtoA2, It appears that these young men may want to try to get a court date with Circuit Judge Melinda Morris. See this article to amaze you at the criminal justice system in Washtenaw County http://www.annarbor.com/news/superior-township-man-receives-probation-after-shooting-son-in-heated-argument/
paulczar
Thu, May 19, 2011 : 7:36 p.m.
Dillon Pearce??? This is the same guy that ran over those ducks in Hummer (allegedly). Hmm feces on a cop car then running over ducks... nice track record this kid has got going.
bunnyabbot
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 11:10 p.m.
oh they'll feel like they're a cup of crap when they get cavity searched in jail. I tell ya, no respect
whateverhappenedtoA2
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 9:25 p.m.
Putting feces on a police car is more than a prank. Someone asked if they'll be suspended? I see nothing, to recommend leniancy. Do the crime, do the time. Let the system sort them out.
kate
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 6:31 p.m.
This IS malicious destruction of property. When will it stop?? This goes well beyond a "fun" senior prank or toilet papering a friend's house. Are these parents in denial over their children's behavior? Sure doesn't seem to me that they are mature enough to be going to college in the fall.
Raggety Andy
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 3:57 p.m.
Man, if only I was that creative in high school. All I did was call them pigs and flip 'em the bird...
Lokalisierung
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 3:37 p.m.
Never heard it was a felony...it for sure shouldn't be.
DagnyJ
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 3:34 p.m.
Is vandalizing police property a felony?
Bridget Bly
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 2:23 p.m.
Hey, Sandy Castle! Nice to hear from a real person. I hope you didn't think I meant 'don't punish them'. Of course they should be punished. I just meant they should be judged and punished by the entities our society has set up to judge and punish them, not by having their names published on AA.com.
Lokalisierung
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 2:13 p.m.
"A funny prank? So if I go outside in the morning and someone has smashed out my rear window and tail light I am just supposed to laugh?" Well no, becasue the prank is happening to you.
phdeez
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 1:07 p.m.
A funny prank? So if I go outside in the morning and someone has smashed out my rear window and tail light I am just supposed to laugh? Am I still supposed to laugh when I am writing the $300 check to have the window repaired? The cup of poo was a funny prank, but the busted window was malicious destruction of property.
green1
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 1:03 p.m.
"In Michigan a 17 year old is an adult in the eyes of the law unless they are consuming alcohol. Then the state has the old revenue enhancing MIP." That is an incorrect statement. 17-21 year olds are charged as adults for MIP. There are some sections of the Michigan Compiled Laws that allow dismissals after a term of probation/deferral (1st offense MIP is one of them). Most likely if they are found guilty or a guilty plea is made, these kids would be sentenced under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act and get the cases dismissed and made non-public after paying fines, costs and restitution and fulfilling probationary terms.
Sandy Castle
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 12:25 p.m.
Again, like the comments on the 7 Saline boys planning and beating another kid alot of these comments seem to want to defer responsibity from the culprits to others. Awww, do we really want to ruin their lives? Really? WE didn't do anything. They made their choice and they need to be held responsible for it. That's how kids learn lessons. That does not mean their lives will be ruined. In fact, I would say it will make them better people. Perhaps their parents held the same sentiment many of you hold now and that's why these kids made these bad choices...maybe they've never been held responsible for their actions in the past.
Bridget Bly
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 11:49 a.m.
Teenagers don't think much about stuff like that before they do it. And it's all very well to say, "they should", but that doesn't change the fact that they don't. They drink, they hang out in groups, they egg each other to do stupid damaging stuff. If the community is lucky, they don't hurt themselves or anyone else and the property damage is minimal. They still grow up to be reasonable people most of whom don't, as adults, bash in the headlights of police cars. I think AA.com should rethink its policy of publishing the names of kids for this type of arrest. The internet has made naming names an un-expungable act: every time anybody Googles any of those kids, there is the chance that this AA.com article is going to come up. Of course there should be punishment for property crimes, but I'm for letting the parents, the police, and the schools dish out punishment.
Lokalisierung
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 11:28 a.m.
"...to identify the feckless parents who failed to teach their children that this sort of "prank" is inexcusable and deserves punitive consequences!" Seriously? I didn't know there were still people out there blaming the parents for everything. I thought that was just a flavor of the month fad; Sad.
Lokalisierung
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 11:18 a.m.
Oh those cray kids! Feces in a cup...brilliant. But hey, it's all in fun but if you're dumb enough to get caught that's on you. There goes that nice Senior Summer you kids had lined up.
Blue Eyes
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 10:58 a.m.
Let's kill two birds with one stone - save the City some $ and punish the little monsters at the same time. Instead of picking up some trash, have them wash all of the City vehicles (maybe school buses too?) for a year. It's not cleaning porta-johns, but I'll bet washing those garbage trucks won't be a treat. Bet they think twice before they vandalize someone else's property again!
javajolt1
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 10:36 a.m.
OK, Dumb prank. They had to do this to a police car?? That's not very smart. Beyond that fairly stupid senior crap. Except for the crap. The feces is just odd. Adds a dimension to a prank that is downright weird. Who came up with this element?? Time to seek professional help.
a2love
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 10:14 a.m.
I know one of these guys very well, I guarantee you he was planning on going to college, he has an older brother at Michigan. It's just a stupid prank, yeah they probably shouldn't have done it to a police car but lets face it if it wasn't to a police car this wouldn't be as serious. Also, they probably should have been more aware of the video cameras, but again a senior prank....this time in the year seniors could care less about anything, and I'm sure as the last week of school for seniors in Ann Arbor ends we will hear more about pranks....it's senior prank time people get excited!!!
vitaltoofor
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 9:50 a.m.
Just take the names down - AA.com doesn't publish names of other vandalism suspects, regardless of age... Could it have something to do with the AAPD applying pressure. It's a teenage prank...How about start publishing names of kids who toilet paper homes on the weekend too!
nowayjose
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 9:12 a.m.
It's a felony to maliciously damage any police property. Wonder if they were charged accordingly. Or if they were treated with kid gloves?
Steve the Wookiee
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 8:52 a.m.
@ Cait - I didn't see in the article where it mentioned that these young men intend to go to college. Just because they are seniors doesn't mean they will go on to college.
Cait
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 8:11 a.m.
This is pathetic...what is happening to our youth? These kids are planning on going to college in the fall (I believe they are seniors in highschool). Colleges can revoke their admissions based on a criminal offense like this. What they did was very dumb and they should certianly learn their lesson on this one.
cook1888
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 8:04 a.m.
In Michigan a 17 year old is an adult in the eyes of the law unless they are consuming alcohol. Then the state has the old revenue enhancing MIP.
Hot Sam
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 8 a.m.
We get what we tolerate...
mjf
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 7:32 a.m.
Tompkins, A., Identifying Juveniles, The Poynter Institute (Feb. 29, 2000). Available online at: http://www.poynter.org. Enter QuickLink number: A5555.
mjf
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 7:29 a.m.
The decision to publish or not publish Even though there should generally be no across-the-board legal barriers to student media publishing minor names in print or online there are valid reasons for not doing so in some circumstances. For example, many news organizations do not, as a rule, publish the names of young people accused of less serious crimes. Children, the thinking goes, should not be stigmatized for the rest of their lives for an error in judgment they made while growing up. The Poynter Institutes Al Tompkins, who has written widely on media ethics, has created a useful list of questions and factors that student journalists may want to consider when deciding whether or not to identify juveniles, particularly those involved in criminal activities. Among them: (1) Who is served by identifying the juvenile? (2) How newsworthy is the story? (3) What is the juveniles history? (4) Would others be harmed if the minor was not named or if rumors were allowed to circulate unchecked? The decision about when and how to identify young people involved in news stories can sometimes be tough. In the end, however, the decision should be an editorial and ethical choice not one dictated by law.
YpsiLivin
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 7:20 a.m.
mjf, The story says that the five young men were all 17, which means they're being charged as adults.
krc
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 7:13 a.m.
Pathetic behavior! But I was glad to see that race wasn't mentioned.
donderop
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 6:51 a.m.
They found feces -- AND a recliner on the roof? Creative lads, weren't they.
tdw
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 6:35 a.m.
@mjf maybe they're being charged as adults? I don't know, that might have something to do with it
mjf
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 6:31 a.m.
Is it policy of AA.com to publish the names of minors?
jcj
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 6:25 a.m.
Will they be suspended? They should have to make up the remainder of the school year in summer school in addition to paying restitution. And maybe some community service ie: cleaning the johns at a few city facilities.
SMAIVE
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 6:09 a.m.
Uhm, really, there's a restaurant with "Cup of Crap" on its menu?