Vandalism at Malibu High School one week before graduation allegedly tied to senior prank

MALIBU, Calif, (KABC) -- An investigation is underway after Malibu High School was vandalized just a week before graduation, and employees at the school think a senior prank was behind it.

Video shows graffiti on walls, broken furniture, toilet paper, flour and eggs around campus. The damage was done sometime between 11 p.m. Monday and 2 a.m. Tuesday, according to the school.

A golf cart was even pushed down the stairs and overturned.

On top of all the damage caused, 20 classrooms were inaccessible because the locks were superglued. Students and staff had to use the gym and library instead.

School officials believe this was all a senior prank gone too far, an act they describe as unacceptable, selfish and a lack of respect. They want the students responsible to reflect on their actions, do the right thing and come forward.

"This is tens of thousands of dollars worth of property that was damaged that didn't need to be damaged. And it was damaged at the hands of our students, our seniors, former students, and this impacts our student body, it goes beyond the money, it goes to the form of lack of respect," said Esmi Careaga, Communications Director - Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.

The school is working closely with the Malibu-Lost Hills Sheriff's Station. They say no suspects have been arrested, and even though senior pranks are a school tradition, this act is considered graffiti vandalism -- a serious crime that will have consequences.

"Traditions should not include a crime or a prank that went too far, a little bit out of hand. Tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage is not a joke," said Careaga.

Some students were visibly upset and wondering why others did so much damage, instead of pranks like previous years.

"There was a duck prank at the start of the year, but it was really innocent and funny, but this one broke just the line and destroyed a lot of stuff," said student Chloe Roescan.

"I saw spray paint in the bathrooms, and first I was like, who would do this, but then I realized, and I heard people talk about the senior prank, I just think that they took it way too far because that is considered vandalism," said student Chloe Kouzouyan.

Parents are also weighing in.

"Talk to them and see what's going on in their heads when they go home and listen to their parents, and things happening. Maybe this is their way of creating attention, not great attention," said Joseph Augustine Nittolo. "They did this and things went overboard and they were looking for attention."

Ophelia Grant, another student at the school, said: "Some of the golf carts now they can't use and they egged a lot of places and glued doors shut and it was really hurtful to our school...a prank is supposed to be funny, and this was not funny at all it was a crime."

Graduation is scheduled for June 11, and the school says this act of vandalism will not overshadow the work most students have done to earn their diplomas.

Anyone with information regarding this case was urged to report it to the Malibu High School administration or the L.A. County Sheriff's Department's Malibu/Lost Hills station at (818) 878-1808.