2 teens charged in Oran vandalism

~ The Scott County sheriff said most of the damage was done at random.

BENTON, Mo. -- Two 17-year-old girls were charged Wednesday for a vandalism spree in Oran, Mo., two weeks ago.

Heather N. Turner and Melba J. Hays, both of Morley, Mo., were each charged with three counts of felony tampering with a motor vehicle, misdemeanor tampering with a motor vehicle and two counts of misdemeanor property damage.

They are accused of slashing tires on four vehicles, spray painting two of the vehicles and one building last month, according to a Scott County Sheriff's Department news release.

The damage was done before 6 a.m. Aug. 22, Oran police chief Marc Tragesser said at the time.

At least 10 vehicles, including an Oran police squad car and two school buses, were targeted and had tires slashed, according to Tragesser. The town's elementary school, the Oran Hat Factory and three rental properties were spray painted, he said.

In the charges filed Wednesday, four of the victims were identified. Additional charges against the defendants may be filed later for the other victims' property, according to the release.

The two defendants started out targeting the vehicles of one or two juveniles they were quarreling with and continued on with a random vandalism spree, according to Sheriff Rick Walter.

"Most of the victims had nothing to do with these people," he said. "I guess they just couldn't stop."

Although a police vehicle was vandalized and some of the spray-painted graffiti poked fun at the department, the property damage was not aimed directly at the Oran Police Department, Walter said.

The damage to the school, however, was likely due to some history between at least one of the suspects and the principal.

When the sheriff's department picked up the investigation from Oran, officers received tips that led them to the girls, Walter said. After arresting and interviewing the pair, the two confessed to the crimes, he said.

A $10,000 cash-only bond was set for each girl.

kmorrison@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127