June 11, 2012
Northridge mother charged in syrup swastika vandalism
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Photo from the Chatsworth home.
A Northridge woman has been charged with multiple criminal counts for helping her teenage daughter and two friends deface homes with maple syrup swastikas, human feces and toilet paper. Catharine Whelpley, 43, was charged on June 11 with three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, two counts of vandalism, two counts of trespassing and two counts of tampering with a vehicle.
Whelpley is accused of driving her 14-year-old daughter and her daughter’s two friends — 14 and 13 — to two homes in the San Fernando Valley. The girls have admitted to the April 3 defacing, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
At the first home, the residence of a former friend from their middle school, the teens defaced the property with toilet paper and maple syrup and smeared feces on the homeowner’s vehicle, according to statement from the office of L.A. City Attorney Carmen A. Trutanich. According to the statement, Whelpley allegedly drove the girls to a store to purchase additional toilet paper between the two incidents.
At the second home, which belongs to the son of a Holocaust survivor, the teens admitted to using maple syrup to draw three swastikas and to writing the word “Jew” on the front walkway.
The three girls will not face criminal charges because their actions did not cause permanent damage to the properties. However, the teens faced disciplinary action at their school.
If convicted on all charges, Whelpley could face up to seven years in county jail or a $13,500 fine, according to prosecutor Ayelet Feiman, who added that it is unlikely she will receive the maximum sentence.
Whelpley’s arraignment is scheduled for June 28.
