Cops: Teen Tipster Leads to Arrests in Nicolet Vandalism

Two students have been arrested by Glendale police for vandalizing Nicolet High School during homecoming week.

Police said a Nicolet student, who wishes to remain anonymous, reported to Principal Greg DePue that two specific students were involved in the vandalism that ultimately led to canceling the homecoming pep rally.

• Related: Homecoming pep rally rescheduled for Wednesday.

According to police, one of the suspects is a 17-year-old Glendale resident who attends an Ozaukee County school, the other is a 17-year-old Glendale resident who attends Nicolet.

Administrators spoke with the Nicolet suspect and he admitted to participating in the vandalism.

During the interview with Glendale police, the Nicolet suspect admitted to defiling the press box with a homosexual slur, saying he knew it would damage the property, but considered it a senior prank and thought it would be funny, the police report said.

He told police he later met up with his friend who attends the Ozaukee County school, telling him about the damage to the press box. They both agreed to head back to Nicolet to damage more property. The report says they admitted to crawling onto the school roof where they painted vulgar statements and then found an unlocked door leading to a closet in the pool area.

The Nicolet suspect then told police his friend tossed the laptop into the school pool, and went on to explain how he hung the mannequin outside DePue's office. The police report says he told police he never intended to hang the mannequin there as a "violent" act, but simply thought it was another part of the senior prank.

He told police he went to school the next day and didn't tell anyone about the vandalism, but he began to get nervous because he felt that "this was getting to big," the report said.

Graffiti in the boys bathroom that said, "Kill people, burn (expletive), (expletive)
Nicolet" was a major part of the decision between Nicolet administration and Glendale police to cancel the homecoming pep rally, but the Nicolet suspect denied any participation in the graffiti, according to the report.

The Nicolet suspect was cited for criminal damage to property. Glendale police say this teen has no previous criminal record and was later released to his mother.

The Ozaukee County school suspect declined an invitation to be interviewed by Glendale police, and according to the report said he has hired an attorney so he would not be making any statements.

He was cited for criminal trespass to dwelling and criminal damage to property. This teen also has "several open" cases with Glendale police, according to the report, including possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, underage alcohol consumption, and disobeying a police officer from August 2011, underage alcohol consumption from September 2011, and underage alcohol consumption from September 2012.

He was later released to his mother who, according to the report, told an officer that she expected this to happen because she had heard rumors about the other suspect getting arrested the day before.

"We will follow with our normal progressive discipline procedures when dealing with these two students," District Administrator Rick Monroe said in a press release Monday.