Alexander Timothy Hancock, 18 pled ‘no contest’ to one count of ‘felony vandalism in the amount of $400 or more’ in a plea bargain at the Bakersfield Metro Division of California Superior Court on October 10.
Hancock was arrested June 4, 2007 with his friend and neighbor from Neenach, Thomas John Tosh, 18 who pled to the same deal.
The two allegedly filled paint ball CO2 cartridges with gun powder and a fuse, then placed the devices in a bank of Frazier Mountain High School lockers. Two lockers were blown apart, damaging the units just days before graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2007 [read story].
Hancock was a popular football player with a 3.0 grade point average, set to graduate with his class until this incident. Tosh was attending College of the Canyons. The men said they intended "to play a prank."
The Neenach youths’ $1.5 million bail was also lowered to $25,000. They have been in jail since June 4.
The additional felony charges of possessing an explosive device in a public place, transporting an explosive device and possessing a destructive device were dropped. Hancock and Tosh are now free on bail with sentencing set for December 4.
Students returning to the high school in August had no place to store their books. School lockers were not made available until four and a half months after the incident.
This is part of the October 26, 2007 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
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