By Jorge Casuso

December 27, 2021 -- Two juvenile suspects were arrested for burglary Sunday night after breaking into John Muir Elementary School and vandalizing parts of the campus.

At around 9 p.m. officers responded to reports that a group of subjects had been seen jumping a fence onto the grounds of the school in Ocean Park, police said.

The officers "immediately located two males in the administration building," said Lt. Rudy Flores, the Police Department spokesman.

Both suspects ran from police but were quickly detained and taken into custody without further incident, Flores said.

"A subsequent search through the school revealed several shattered windows as well as classrooms and an administration office that were ransacked," Flores said.

Officers also discovered freshly painted graffiti, he said. An LAPD Airship assisted with the search.

Both male juvenile suspects were transported to the SMPD station, where they were cited for burglary, a more serious charge than vandalism, Flores said.

They were "ultimately released into the custody of their parents," he said.

Sunday's attack marked the second time John Muir was attacked by juvenile vandals in the past two years.

On June 8, 2019, five juveniles ransacked classrooms, the library, cafetorium, stage, teacher’s lounge, book room and exterior areas ("Santa Monica School Site Trashed in Vandalism Spree," June 9, 2019).

The vandalism spree also included "breaking windows, destroying furniture, technology and materials, dumping cans of paint on exteriors, and flooding rooms by turning on the sinks," District officials said at the time.

Five juveniles between the ages of 11 and 13 admitted to the attack, which cost the School District an estimated $200,000 in repairs.

Anyone with information pertaining to this incident should call Youth Services Division – School Resource Officer Jenkins at 310-458-2201 ext. 4884 or Detective Cochran at 310-458-8415 or the Watch Commander (24 hours) at 310-458-8426.