Six girls are suspected of spray-painting offensive pictures and words overnight Friday inside a vacant Battle Ground home.
The home in the 1300 block of Northwest 11th Street was recently sold and is pending final closing. A neighbor called the homeowner Friday night to let her know “there were some kids on her back porch and she may want to call the police,” but the homeowner didn’t get the voice message until the next morning, according to the Battle Ground Police Department.
Officers sent to the house found spray-painted walls, fixtures, carpets and doors, along with broken light bulbs and holes in the walls. Police say some of the graffiti was explicit. Through an investigation, detectives identified six teen girls as the suspected vandals and interviewed five of the girls, who ranged in age from 13 to 14. Police also suspect the same group was responsible for a nearby home vandalism reported May 4 in the 1200 block of Northwest Ninth Way.
Initial damage estimates are $5,650 for the Ninth Way home and $5,000 for the 11th Street home, according to the police department.
The suspects’ identities are not being released, pending potential charges of first-degree malicious mischief and residential burglary.
