Teen in vandalism to publicly apologize
Act of contrition, set for Oct. 20, is part of mediation agreement
DANVILLE — When vandals defaced the All Wars Memorial last year, people here were incensed. Within days, they raised $12,000 to hunt down the perpetrators.
Next week, veterans groups, civic leaders and the public at large will have a chance to look one of the vandals in the eye when he issues a rare public apology.
The event is being heavily promoted in email blasts, encouraging all “patriots” — including the Boy Scouts and Blue Star Moms — to attend. It sounds like a public flogging in the making, but organizers say the event is part of a “restorative justice” strategy meant to
heal both sides.
“We don’t want to put him in front of a firing squad, verbal or otherwise,” said Bill Picton, the head of the All Wars Memorial board.
John Reese, a Vietnam War veteran, said the defacing of such a memorial was very personal for the veteran community because there are so many stories attached to the active site. It has 1,100 engravings honoring vets who have died and patriots who have served in the military and is often used for memorial services or welcome home events for military personnel.
“I couldn’t believe that anyone would deface a memorial,” Reese said. “Why at a memorial, of all the places?”
The public apology is shaping up to be one of the biggest things to happen in this town since black and red graffiti was discovered on the memorial in Oak Hill Park in the early hours of June 8, 2015. It included the words “Let’s get high” and depictions of mushrooms, among other scribbles and words.
After Danville police released surveillance video of three suspects, Jared Vance of Provo, Utah, was identified as one of the vandals. Vance, an Eagle Scout, was charged with felony vandalism on Sept. 2, 2015, when he was 18 years old.
Vance’s attorney, Nick Billings, was not available for comment.
Picton entered into a voluntary mediation agreement on behalf of the board and Vance. They agreed that Vance’s contrition should include three aspects: a public apology at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20, at the Veterans Memorial building, 100 hours of community service preferably in the veterans community and $2,200 in restitution for the cost of the graffiti cleanup. Vance is not expected to serve jail time, Picton said.
This somewhat unusual process is part of restorative justice, and in this case was recommended by the District Attorney’s Office, said prosecutor Dan Cabral.
The public apology, standing in front of a crowd of the offended, is rare, said Tom Cain, who is part of the nonprofit group that helped mediate the situation. Cain said that it was also part of protocol to avoid media attention on the apology, but notification of the event was forwarded by email to this newspaper.
Although the case is pending, when Vance completes these conditions, the prosecution and the defense will present the information to a judge, Cabral said. It’s the judge’s ultimate decision whether the restorative justice was sufficient to avoid trial or being sentenced to jail time.
Cabral said he did agree to lower the felony vandalism charge to a misdemeanor if Vance completes the conditions.
Picton said he thought it was important for the young man to come clean and reconcile with the community he offended.
Picton said Vance confessed to the vandalism and said he and his friends didn’t know that it was a veterans memorial at the time of the incident. The three had allegedly been drinking and smoking, Picton said.
Cain, the director of the nonprofit group that runs the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program of Contra Costa County, said the program he heads is voluntary for both the victim and the alleged perpetrator. They work with mostly juveniles for nonviolent crimes such as petty theft, vandalism or shoplifting.