Charges of criminal mischief—commonly known as vandalism—and criminal conspiracy were brought against three juveniles in June, and two of the thirteen-year-olds also face charges for vehicular offenses. The criminal mischief charges against the teens include eight second-degree misdemeanor counts, seven third-degree misdemeanor counts, and nine summary counts. The case will be processed in the Pennsylvania Juvenile Justice System.

The young teens were charged four months after doing more than $29,000 worth of damage to cars, houses, and garages across Forks Township. Early in the morning on a Saturday and Sunday in late February, the teens threw landscaping stones and river rocks from a car at the windows of vehicles and houses. They also damaged garage doors and shutters. The car the trio used belonged to one of their parents, driven without their knowledge or permission.

Thanks to surveillance videos, police knew the make, model, color, and year of the car the teens used. Social media posts of photos of the vehicle yielded anonymous tips about possible suspects. After interviewing several juvenile witnesses, investigators were able to identify the culprits.

When a Juvenile Commits Vandalism (Criminal Mischief)

As you can imagine, the parents of these young offenders must have been quite shocked upon learning what their children were being charged with. What would you do as a parent if faced with a similar challenge? What would your first questions be, and who would you call for help?

Learning more about what it means for a juvenile to be charged with vandalism would be among the first steps. In Pennsylvania, vandalism is defined as any intentional action that causes physical harm to a property or diminishes its value. Examples include defacing building exteriors with paint, damaging or destroying furnishings, and scratching words into the exterior of a car. Pennsylvania law also provides a definition for institutional vandalism—this is property damage to places like a cemetery, a house of worship, a school, or a government building. In either type of charge, no distinction is made based on the age of the person charged.

While the definitions of vandalism are the same for adults and juveniles, the latter have their cases handled through the juvenile justice system, which tends to be more lenient and focused on rehabilitation and restitution than the adult system.

Costs for Parents of Juveniles Charged With Vandalism

Acts of vandalism committed by a member of your household are not covered by insurance. However, Pennsylvania law limits monetary liability of parents to $2,500. For victims of vandalism, repair and replacement costs should be covered by insurance, although any claim is probably subject to a deductible. The court may also impose a fine, which is not included in the liability limit. And, of course, there is the cost of legal representation.

Defend Your Child, Protect Yourself, With an Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney

If your child is charged with vandalism or any other crime, immediately consulting a criminal defense attorney experienced in the juvenile justice system is critically important for your whole family. Our Criminal Law Team has the experience, knowledge, and compassion you need for the challenges you and your family are facing. Call the LLF Law Firm now at 888.535.3686 or Tell Us About Your Case online.