Alum confesses to half-century old prank

PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 3 (UPI) -- A guilt-riddled alum confessed to dumping two years' worth of beverage cans into the Palo Alto, Calif., High School swimming pool -- 50 years ago.

Charles Monsalve, just weeks before his 50th Palo Alto High School reunion, sent to the school district supervisor a $500 check and a note explaining the prank, The Palo Alto Daily News reported.

"In 1957, 50 years ago, a most nefarious plot was undertaken by 10 Palo Alto seniors, and instigated at the end of the school year," Monsalve wrote. "This plot was a culmination of two months of meticulous planning by these evil doers. I know because I was one of them."

"The fun was in the planning," Monsalve, now 68, told the newspaper. "We spent two months planning -- we could've been doing a bank robbery."

The reunion -- and the deaths of four of the participants -- prompted Monsalve to come clean, but not divulging the co-conspirators.

"The trick in doing a prank is not going around bragging about it," said Monsalve.