Nearly 200 doors glued shut at a high school, causing $70,000 in damage

SAN DIEGO (KFMB) - Nearly 200 doors were glued shut at a high school, causing $70,000 in damage.

The bizarre act of vandalism at the California high school has left students, teachers and police searching for answers.

Glue was poured into the locks and keyholes of nearly 200 doors at Patrick Henry High School last month during finals week.

Two weeks later, some of the keys still can not open the doors.

School police have surveillance video of the suspect, but have not been able to identify him.

Christopher Guzman is a student at the school. He said when he got to school on May 26 he knew immediately that something was not right.

“It’s pretty crazy,” he said. “I was walking in right and I looked around. There’s all these teachers on the floor. They had these little, I don’t know what they were doing, but they were like picking at the locks.”

Detective Sgt. Roberto Bonilla with the San Diego Unified Police Department hopes someone will recognize the suspect.

“The subject is wearing a very unique sweater with a B on the top of the chest area here. It’s a hooded sweater, covered face. We’re hoping someone will recognize him,” he said.

It is believed the suspect acted alone and was on campus for two hours. Rumors swirling around the school are that it was done as a senior prank, but detectives are not sure if the suspect is a Patrick Henry High School student.

“It is typical to see senior pranks, but those are more lighthearted, funny, more clever, but nothing to this extreme of damaging over $70,000 worth of property,” Bonilla said.

The damage is estimated at $70,000, which is why Crime Stoppers is now involved with a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect in the felony vandalism case.

“The last couple of weeks of school is very busy. Teachers, students are trying to get everything together before the summer break and it just created a big disruption,” Bonilla said.

It took a while, but teachers were able to get into enough classrooms to make sure everything still went as planned that day.

Guzman said he still had class and still had to take a final.

Anyone with information should call San Diego Crime Stoppers at (619) 291-7678 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477.