Police believe Fresno gang may be behind Sanger elementary school vandalism

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- At Wilson Elementary, one of the key things students are taught is respect, a character trait that was missing when a group of people jumped a fence and, according to Sanger Police, graffitied the campus with black spray paint.

Principal Ken Garcia said janitors spent Sunday rushing to paint over the vulgar vandalism before students returned from winter break Monday. The suspects seemed to be on a tagging spree.

"They were here long enough to deface a number of areas on the campus, on the east side, on the north side, the block wall that's just being constructed for our service trucks," Garcia said. "So it took a while."

After taking a closer look at the markings, Sanger Police believe a gang out of Fresno is responsible for the vandalism.

School leaders say the school is equipped with surveillance cameras that did capture activity during the time the crime happened.

"The district does have video cameras on this campus like they do at all their school sites," Garcia said. "And they are studying the video to find the footage that we can find to see how many people were involved."

The entire front portion of the campus is undergoing a modernization project. It has been an exciting time for staff, students and neighbors, so the vandalism was a real let down. The damage to the playground is also delaying it from opening by several days.

Officers believe the suspects are teens or young adults. Sanger Police are offering a reward for information that leads to arrests.