Three Charlotte teenagers have been charged with vandalizing artwork over the weekend at the Center for the Arts in downtown Rock Hill.
The juveniles turned themselves in to authorities on Wednesday, Lt. Jerry Waldrop of the Rock Hill Police Department said.
Police say the trio slipped away from a wedding reception in the building, took an elevator upstairs and entered three studios and a storage room where they vandalized artwork.
The teens -- male cousins, ages 14 and 15 and their 14-year-old male friend -- were charged with malicious damage to personal property in connection with vandalism that destroyed $8,000 worth of artwork, Waldrop said.
The Herald does not release the name of juveniles.
The teens were released to their guardians on Wednesday and are slated to appear in Family Court on Feb. 7, Waldrop he said.
The teens were guests at the wedding reception Saturday in the building between noon and 7:30 p.m., Waldrop said.
About 200 people attended the reception, and a security guard was on the premises during the event, said Debra Heintz, executive director of the Arts Council of York County.
After the reception, Rock Hill artist William Phillip "Phil" Murdock Sr. entered his studio and found that a unicorn head and carousel horse were damaged, according to a police report.
"That piece is no good to me anymore," he said. "I can't finish it. I'm going to have to start all over."
An oil painting created by Herald photographer Jim Stratakos also was defaced with gold-colored spray paint.
Police believe one of the teens scaled a 9-foot wall and opened the studio doors to let the others in, Waldrop said.
Scaling the walls won't be possible soon. Heintz on Monday called a contractor to add material to the studio walls to prevent others from climbing over them. The work could top $3,000, she said.
