Two students at an Indiana County technical school are charged with causing $11,000 in damages by "turfing" the landscape at Keystone State Park in Derry Township in January.
Josiah A. Joseph, 18, of Tobyhanna, Monroe County, and Matthew R. Kennedy, 19, of State College, Centre County, are charged with damaging grassy areas around the state park by "doing donuts" in their vehicles around the main picnic area and other pavilions. The vandalism occurred about 8:40 p.m. on Jan. 24.
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by park ranger Barbara Howard, park manager Kristian Baker was able to catch a glimpse of the two vehicles -- Joseph's 2000 Subaru and Kennedy's 1988 Honda -- as they were "turfing the park property."
Howard said in the affidavit that Baker was able to obtain descriptions of both vehicles and the license plate numbers before they sped off.
The pair, who are students at WyoTech, an automotive technology school in Blairsville, are charged before Derry District Judge Mark Bilik with institutional vandalism, criminal mischief and criminal conspiracy.
Preliminary hearings are scheduled May 16 before Bilik.
