Racial slurs, profane messages, and graphic images were found painted across Lompoc’s Cabrillo High School campus on May 31. Concrete was poured in front of classroom doors in an attempt to prevent them from opening.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the vandalism and has arrested three men suspected of being involved in the crime, according to a Sheriff’s Office press release.
“What occurred at Cabrillo High School wasn’t a prank. It was a premeditated and despicable hate crime that shocked the [conscience] of the school and our entire community,” Sheriff Bill Brown said in a statement.
Initial investigations began on May 31, and sheriff’s deputies later arrested Martin Perez, Luke Quezada, and Shane Monroe, all 18 years old, on suspicion of felony commission of a hate crime, felony vandalism, felony conspiracy, and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Lompoc Unified School District Officials told the Sun via email that there were several broken windows, and graffiti spray-painted on walls, windows, and sidewalks. Liquid paint was splashed on walls, windows, and exterior dining tables. And as of June 7, staff had begun repairing and cleaning up the damage.
Santa Maria-Lompoc NAACP President Lawanda Lyons-Pruitt said she’d like to reach out to the school and speak to the campus community about the vandalism.
“I do feel like we could use it as a teachable moment, and maybe do something about racism, implicit bias, and restorative justice,” Lyons-Pruitt said. “That would be my proposal, but that doesn’t mean that the teachers, the students—the ones that were affected the most—would want it.”
Lyons-Pruitt noted she’s seen an uptick in racial slurs and incidents in the community lately. On May 27, Nipomo’s Powerhouse Barre and Pilates Studio had a note taped to the business with racially driven hate speech and violent threats, and in December a truck was spray-painted with the phrase “I hate [expletive],” she said.
“It’s in the whole county. It’s everywhere,” Lyons-Pruitt said.
She said that the increase in hate crimes remains a mystery to her, but she noted there’s been a mood or temperament shift in the country.
“Some of it I would attribute it to we’re not doing a good job at home. It has to start at home with educating our kids about racism and about treating people with dignity and respect,” she said.
“The pendulum swings. I think at times, the country’s more tolerant and more empathetic and it swings back the other way to where we are less tolerant and less empathetic,” Lyons-Pruitt continued.
However, the message shouldn’t be about tolerance alone; it should expand to treating people well and human kindness, Lyons-Pruitt said.
“Just because someone’s skin tone is different, there’s no reason to be treating them any different than you would want to be treated,” she said. “I don’t want to see an 18 year-old end up with a felony and arrest history, but at the same time when you do something like this, there are consequences that go with it.”
The investigation remains ongoing, and the Sheriff’s Office will continue sharing updates at sbsheriff.org/blog. Anyone with information about the Cabrillo High School incident is encouraged to contact School Resource Deputy Dennis Thomas at [email protected] or at (805) 683-2724. Anonymous information can be given via the department’s tip line at (805) 681-4171.
