Mount Olive cops say teen vandals were drunk, not racist

MOUNT OLIVE — Two teens who had been drinking were charged with spray-painting swastikas and derogatory words Friday night, police said.

A 16-year-old boy from Budd Lake and a 16-year-old girl from Dover painted "multiple" signs, flags and vehicles in the Stedwick Village area about 10:10 p.m., police said.

Police said the teens had been drinking with Samantha K. Condon, 20, of Budd Lake.

The three were found in the parking lot along with a bottle of vodka and several cans of beer, according to Mount Olive police. Condon was found hiding behind a dumpster.

Police said the three appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and were taken into custody.

An investigation determined that while the teen spray-painted swastikas and derogatory words, the vandalism did not meet the state Attorney General’s guidelines for a bias crime as a specific group or individual was not targeted.

The teens were charged with underage possession/consumption of alcohol and criminal mischief. Condon was charged with consumption of alcohol and released pending a court hearing while the teens were released to a parent.

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this article should have stated that Samantha K. Condon was not charged with criminal mischief and that she was not accused of committing vandalism.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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