Two vandals were caught on video last Friday spray-painting the side of Island Trees High School, the middle school and a memorial created in memory of alumni who died on 9/11 or in the line of duty.
Surveillance video and photo from the school district was released, showing one male spray-painting the side of the building while the other takes a photo, on July 6 around 2 a.m.
The word "Plainedge" was drawn on the school and the memorial, which has since been re-painted.
Island Trees Superintendent Charles Murphy said he does not believe the perpetrators were from Plainedge, and said police have been notified of the incident.
"We have an idea that they are local kids," Murphy told Patch.
Nick Tonno, president of the Island Trees Football Alumni Association, said alumni donated the memorial to the school, as well as all the fencing and planting alongside it. The memorial had just finished being constructed early last week, Tonno said.
Tonno, who was in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy treatments for lymphoma when the memorial was finished, called the act "heart-wrenching."
"I would ask the community to put their efforts into finding the perpetrators who committed this awful crime," Tonno said. "The memorial is sentimental to the people who lost their loved ones. We need to apprehend them for the selfish act that they did."
"It's sad they would denigrate a memorial for the service men and women who have given their lives to our country," Murphy added.
Anyone with information regarding this crime can contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-877-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.
