Four Oxford College of Emory University students were arrested this month after they allegedly vandalized turf inside the University of Georgia football stadium before a November game.
The suspects — Berwyn David Lu, 19, Katherine Colleen Tyrone, 19, Grace Carolyn Johnson, 20, and Taylor Mackenzie Anderson, 18 — were arrested Jan. 15 on two felony charges each, authorities said.
They face counts of second-degree burglary and second-degree criminal damage to property, according to a UGA police incident report obtained by AJC.com on Thursday.
On Nov. 21, officers met with Mark Delafchell, director of building services for the school’s athletic department, after the Sanford Stadium turf was damaged overnight, the report said. The incident took place the night before a game against Texas A&M.
The four suspects “intentionally” damaged the field when they entered the stadium about 9:15 p.m. Nov. 20 without authorization, Delafchell told officers. Claude Felton, senior associate athletic director at UGA, told AJC.com that salt was sprinkled on the field, which was removed “fairly quickly” by the grounds crew.
Delafchell said a 6-by-15-foot section of turf was damaged and had to be removed. It ended up causing more than $500 worth of damage.
The burglary charges stem from three UGA seat backs — worth $8 apiece — that were stolen from the 100 level of the stadium’s seating area, the report said.
Authorities were able to identify the suspects as students at Oxford College of Emory University in Newton County, UGA spokesman Greg Trevor said.
The arrest warrants were issued Jan. 15 and they turned themselves in to the Clarke County Jail soon after, the report said. They each posted a $3,500 bond, the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office said.
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