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Updates on Port Angeles High School Vandalism: arrests have been made.


I can't post the pictures here or even begin to describe the damage done early morning last Saturday at Port Angeles High School. I'm just glad that police are able to catch ones who did this, with the help of surveillance cameras. As far as I'm concerned the ones involved in this godawful vandalism should be the ones to clean up the mess and come up with all the money in damages, besides their jail sentence.

"By Randy Trick, Peninsula Daily News

PORT ANGELES - More than a dozen fires were ignited in Port Angeles High School on Saturday during an early morning rampage that spanned four buildings, leaving television sets and computers broken and one cash drawer empty.

Only one fire - a blaze that burned most of the staff mailboxes in the administrative area - had to be put out by fire crews who arrived at 4:30 a.m.

Other fires had self-extinguished by that time."


Needless to say the damage was very severe.

The reason I am posting this news is because Port Angeles, WA is the small city I live in, and I was almost in complete shock when I saw this tonight on Q-13's ten o'clock news.

It said on the news that it was an estimated $100,000 in damage.

This world is a sad sad place sometimes, I can't even imagine someone wanting to do something like this. It does much more than just disturb me!



"Man, 18, arrested in Port Angeles High School vandalism investigation


By Paige Dickerson, Peninsula Daily News


PORT ANGELES - An 18-year-old man was arrested Monday and two juveniles were sought in connection with last Saturday's vandalism rampage at Port Angeles High School.

Christopher Douglas Brogan was arrested and booked into Clallam County jail for investigation of the vandalism, which included more than a dozen fires and dozens of computers and video equipment damaged or destroyed, Port Angeles Police Chief Tom Riepe confirmed.

"We have one in custody, and the detectives are working very hard to get the other ones involved in this crime," Riepe said.

No further details - including Brogan's place of residence and connection, if any, to Port Angeles High School - were revealed.

"We are very grateful for all the time [police] have put into this," Port Angeles School District Superintendent Gary Cohn said of the arrest.

There is still no cost estimate of the damage, much of which was cleaned up Sunday by staff, teachers and volunteers.

The vandals early Saturday entered four buildings on the 33-acre campus, set the fires, destroyed at least two large television sets and broke computers in the library and in a classroom.

Fire crews - summoned by a security alarm - arrived on the scene at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, but most of the fires had already self-extinguished.

But one blaze which consumed much of the faculty mailboxes in an administrative area was put out by the crews.

*Alarm structure reviewed
The campus' security alarm structure was reviewed Monday following the weekend vandalism.

Police and school officials had varied views of how the high school's alarm went off early Saturday - allowing so much damage to be done.

Security varies from building to building, said Scott Brodhun, director of facilities technology and maintenance for the district.

Cameras, motion detectors and other security features are included in only some of them, he said.

Police and firefighters arrived at the scene after a security alarm went off, Brodhun said.

"Police did respond to an alarm," he said.

School officials wouldn't confirm the location of that automatic alarm Monday.

Riepe said the alarm didn't immediately activate, but only alerted authorities after damage was done to it.

"I will be replacing the security and alarm system on the campus," Cohn said.

He added that he will also be considering other security upgrades.

Until then, the high school campus will be guarded 24 hours a day, Cohn told the Port Angeles School Board at a meeting Monday night.

Some of the areas where the fires occurred have only manual fire alarms, which must set off by hand when smoke is seen or smelled.

Other areas have smoke-detection systems, Brodhun said.

The area where the largest fire occurred - the 100 Building, named so because of the room numbering system in the building - is equipped with manual fire alarms.


*Students attend classes
Students returned to classes as usual Monday after much of the building was scrubbed clean and repainted the day before.

The first portion of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning tests - known as the WASL - will start as scheduled today.

Administrative staff whose work areas were most affected were relocated Monday to conference rooms, a small office and a desk in the main office, Principal Scott Harker said.

In the meantime, risk management teams evaluated the damage for the district's insurance.

The total cost is not yet known, Cohn said.

In the process of vandalizing four of the school's 11 buildings, 13 windows were broken ranging in size from two feet by two feet to some larger than four feet by five feet.

In the library, 16 computer monitors were destroyed and 10 computers were toppled.

"We are still assessing the potential damage to the computers," Brodhun said Monday.

"There still could be more that we thought were working that could crash.

"That has happened today already."

Three Apple iMac computers in the school's newspaper and yearbook room were destroyed.

Two large TVs were knocked over.

"We still don't have an evaluation on office furniture, but we are still working on it," Brodhun said.

While cleaning up, maintenance crews who were repairing the damaged areas, boarding up windows and getting the building ready for complete repairs logged 80.5 hours between Saturday and Sunday.

"We did as much as we could yesterday when all the volunteers were here," Harker said.

"Then we had a crew up here painting from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m."

The custodial crews picked up 74 hours and the technological staff worked 26 hours over the weekend.

"We also had an enormous number of hours put in by volunteers who just showed up to see what they could do to help," Brodhun said."



Two more arrested in Port Angeles High School rampage.


By Randy Trick, Peninsula Daily News


"PORT ANGELES - Police have arrested two more teens - one a juvenile - in the wake of fires, broken windows and smashed computers at Port Angeles High School on Saturday morning.

A 14-year old boy was arrested at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday and placed in Clallam County juvenile detention.

Because of his age, police would not release his name or any connection with the school.

Two others, both 18 and with lengthy criminal records before their Monday arrests, made their first appearance in Clallam County Superior Court on Tuesday.

Christopher Douglas Brogan, 18, of Port Angeles faces five charges: second degree burglary, second degree arson, malicious mischief in the first and second degree and third degree theft.

Nathan Wayne Terry, who did not provide an address, was arrested late Monday.

He was told in court Tuesday that he is being held for investigation of the same five charges, and may be formally charged in court Thursday.

Clallam County Superior Court Judge George Wood set $100,000 bail for each man.

*Prior run-ins with the law
Both Terry and Brogan have long arrest records, mostly as juvenile offenders.

And both are facing previous felony charges in Clallam County.

Brogan was charged last November with three counts of third degree theft and three counts of second degree vehicle prowl.

He is wanted in King County Superior Court on charges of second degree vehicle prowl and third degree possession of stolen property, according to court records.

In Gray Harbor County, where he grew up, Brogan was arrested 13 times for crimes ranging from third degree malicious mischief to second degree assault.

He was acquitted on the assault charge, but pleaded guilty or was convicted on the other 12.

*Personal Web page
On Brogan's myspace.com page, part of a social networking Web site, he proclaims: "My anger management class [bleeps] me off!"

But that is not the Brogan that a family friend knows.

"He's always been a sweetheart to me," said Darcy Milbourn.

Brogan is a sweet kid with a loving heart, but has a penchant for getting in trouble, Milbourn said.

"I love Christopher; I've loved him since he was little."

Brogan was adopted by Christine Brogan when he was 18 months old.

He grew up in Montesano, the 3,000-person Grays Harbor County seat east of Aberdeen.

Growing up, he was a bright but quick-tempered kid. Milbourn said.

"He has a good heart, but I really don't know what's going on right now," Milbourn said.

"He gets in trouble, gets out, and jumps into deeper trouble."

Montesano being a small town didn't help matters, Milbourn said.

"This a small town, and once you get a name, people always say 'Brogan did it.'"

*Moved to Port Angeles
When he turned 18, his biological mother contacted him, and Brogan moved to Port Angeles to live with her - just four blocks from the high school.

In court papers filed in conjunction with the November theft and vehicle prowl charges, Brogan wrote: "I was an idiot for my actions, and will do whatever it takes to correct it and myself."

Milbourn said the last time Brogan got out of juvenile detention in Grays Harbor County, she told him how hard his mother takes it when he is in trouble.

Brogan cried; his mom is his best friend, she said.

"He's honestly remorseful and doesn't want to hurt his mom," Milbourn said.

"Christine called this morning and asked me to pray for him."

*Arrested 10 times before
Terry was arrested 10 times as a juvenile in Clallam County on charges ranging from motor vehicle theft to telephone harassment.

He pleaded guilty or was convicted of eight of the charges.

Terry was charged in Clallam County Superior court in February for second degree theft for allegedly stealing his mother's computer and digital camera, then pawning them.

According to court records, Terry was involved in breaking into Sequim Bible School in March 2005.

According to a police statement at the time, Terry and two others ransacked one room of the church and stole keys to the school's van.

The statement said a motorist in Bothell spotted three youths smoking and leaning against a van that said "Sequim Bible School" on the side.

The Bothell Police Department was contacted and arrested the three youths.

Terry was also arrested for vandalizing a car parked at Sequim High School the same day he broke into the Bible school.

At that time, Terry's judicial officer wrote in the court file that "Nathan has embraced a criminal lifestyle and is at a high risk to reoffend."