Two Planes Damaged, Two Others Vandalized

Sheriff's detectives in Siskiyou County, CA have arrested an 18-year-old suspected of vandalizing several airplanes at Montague-Yreka Airport (1O5) on Tuesday. Dillon Connor Smith (pictured) was arrested on June 12, according to a spokesperson for the Sheriff's office. The charges filed included taking an aircraft without consent, vandalism, and burglary.

The vandalism at the airport was discovered Monday morning. In a news release, the Sheriff's office said one airplane had been started and then ran into another airplane, damaging both. The Mt. Shasta News reports that the release said two other airplanes had been vandalized. Authorities estimate the damage to all four airplanes to be about $250,000.

In addition to the damage to the airplanes, a hangar had been broken into, leading to an investigation of possible burglary and theft.

“Due to the magnitude of the crime, size of the crime scene, and limited departmental resources, crime scene processing and analysis was requested and ultimately conducted by the California Department of Justice (Redding Crime Lab),” the release stated. “The California Highway Patrol assisted by completing a comprehensive crime scene sketch. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was also notified and responded to the scene to assist the Sheriff’s Office, since federal offense(s) may have been committed by the perpetrators.”

Smith was being held in the Siskiyou County Jail. Bond was set at $25,000. (Image provided by the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office)

FMI: www.co.sisqjustice.ca.us