Four arrested for graffiti on Cambridge high school

by Kevin Rothstein
Tuesday, October 21, 2003

Cambridge police arrested four people early yesterday morning and charged them with spray painting the Spanish word for ``death'' and other graffiti on the walls of Rindge and Latin High School.

Police and school officials said the graffiti, which also spelled out ``Chelsea'' and ``Lynn,'' among other words, did not constitute threats.

``They don't know if it was high school rivalry or what,'' said Officer Frank Pasquarello, a department spokesman.

Cambridge schools Superintendent Thomas Fowler-Finn said, ``I was told they were not threats, not directed at any specific individuals.''

Two adults from Everett, one adult from Somerville and a juvenile were arrested after someone living near the school spotted the taggers shortly after 2 a.m. and called authorities. Pasquarello did not have the adult suspects' names available.

They were expected to be arraigned in Cambridge District Court yesterday.

School custodians power-washed the graffiti away early yesterday morning. ``Our policy is always to eliminate graffiti as soon as it's discovered,'' Fowler-Finn said.