Bills pile up for teen vandals
Two teens charged with terrorizing McMinnville in a plan of vengeance have been bound to the grand jury even as the bills begin to come in for the damage they caused.
The defendants, Norman Cox and Chris Haycox, both 18, waived their right to a preliminary hearing in General Sessions Court and were bound to the grand jury Tuesday by Judge Larry Ross on two counts each of vandalism over $1,000. They face one to two years in prison on each count if convicted. The teens remain held at Warren County Jail in lieu of bond.
They, along with a 17-year-old compatriot, Shawn McCormick, were arrested last week for committing a string of vandalisms around the city. The vandalisms involved the spray painting of both private and public property with blue spray paint. The vandalisms involved cars, homes, walls and sidewalks, with the city seeing most of its damage at Ramsey Park and on the greenway.
The youths were caught when they returned to the scene of the greenway vandalism where they had painted pentagrams, 666s and profanities. They later confessed, saying they were getting revenge because they felt the city had a hand in the closing of Lighthouse Ministries, a Christian retreat on Sparta Street which has moved to Northgate. All three suspects have expressed their apologies for the vandalism, admitting it was not the right way to make a statement.
While all three wait for their days in court, the bills are starting to come in. The largest bill is for the greenway where the city estimated it took 17 man-hours and $664 to cover up the spray painting at the Rotary-sponsored overlook and nearby walking trail. Another seven hours and $280 were needed to clean a cemetery wall the vandals hit. Additional charges from private citizens who suffered damage may be brought at a later date.