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Richmond School Hit By Vandals For Second Time In Two Months

RICHMOND (KCBS) – The city of Richmond is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of vandals who caused at least $500,000 in damage to a brand new school building in the Iron Triangle on Sunday.

Dozens of windows were broken and paint was splattered everywhere as crews spent much of the day Monday trying to blow paint fumes out of the auditorium at Nystrom Elementary School.

"Look at the damage. You're just seeing some of the beginning. Wait till you see the other room, it's outrageous," said West Contra Costa Unified School District Board President Charles Ramsey.

KCBS' Bob Butler Reports:

Lead contractor Bruce Reynolds said there was also extensive damage to the library.

"I was called last night that there was a break-in and that they vandalized the building," Reynolds said. "We had three-inches of water on the floors and it just destroyed everything."

The building was hit by vandals six weeks ago and was scheduled to open in two weeks. Those plans are now on hold.

Sixth grader Aaron Pryor said the criminals should be punished. "They should go to juvie for five months to learn what they did and what they should do to make up for it," he said.

Ramsey said he's concerned about the message this sends to residents, who spent $4 million on the state-of-the-art building.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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