Campus hit by SHSU vandals

Criminal mischief and theft charges have been filed against two Sam Houston State University students in connection vandalism across SFA's campus Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning.

The incident comes in anticipation of the match-up between the Lumberjack football team and the SHSU Bearkats tonight in Huntsville.

University police arrested Daniel Alexander Field, 19, of Waco and John Cole Maxwell, 18, of Lorena shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday. The two were found to be in possession of Sam Houston stickers - similar to those found across campus on signs, buildings and vehicles- and an SFA banner taken from campus.

"Basically, they hit seven buildings and the (Stephen F. Austin) statue," Marc Cossich, chief of University Police Department, said.

Various anti-SFA slogans, such as "Jacks suck!" were painted on buildings and sidewalks, and "SHSU" was painted on the bricks in front of the Stephen F. Austin statue.

Cossich said a type of liquid chalk was used to do most of the writing.

A UPD report said an officer was dispatched to the Vera Dugas Liberal Arts North Building at approximately 11:45 p.m. in response to possible criminal mischief. UPD had received a number of calls from people on campus who had seen the vandalism.

Around the same time, Cossich said, a UPD officer found a car they believed belonged to one of the suspects.

When a UPD officer caught Field and Maxwell, Cossich said, the two fled back to Field's car, a silver 2002 Mitsubishi, and were arrested by the officer watching the vehicle. The two were taken to Nacogdoches County Jail and face charges of criminal mischief and theft, with the possibility of a fine from $20 to $500. Cossich said the punishment is up to the Justice of the Peace.

Cossich said he is not aware of any other actions in response to the tonight's game between SFA and SHSU.

"I would hope (the arrests) would tend to keep it from happening (again)," he said. "It's a pretty common thing to happen at every University I've been at, but this is the first time it has happened since I've been at SFA."