RICHMOND, Calif., Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Vandals caused close to $1 million in damage at a soon-to-be-opened elementary school auditorium in California, police said.
The perpetrators flooded the building, splattered paint over nearly every surface and broke all the windows Sunday at Nystrom Elementary School in Richmond, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Tuesday.
"Usually when there's vandalism at a school, we think it's kids," Richmond police Lt. Bisa French said. "But this is a lot of malicious damage -- a lot of the damage that occurred isn't typical of kids."
The exact nozzle on the water heater that would flood the rooms was broken and wires in alarm system that would shut off the water heater were adjusted.
Police suspect disgruntled employees or someone with extensive knowledge of the auditorium's alarm and heating systems are responsible for the damage to the auditorium, which was scheduled to open in a few weeks, the newspaper said.
"It's an urban area and the kids really need to know that we're investing in their future and their education," French said. "For something like this to happen, where it's almost like it's taken away from them for a longer period of time, it's really disheartening."
The police department is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect.
