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8:09 p.m. • 2-12-12

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Teen Pleads Guilty in Vandalism Spree


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Teen Pleads Guilty in Vandalism Spree
Logan Sloan Aronson in court

A Broughton High School junior was placed on probation Thursday after pleading guilty to a New Year's Day vandalism spree.

Logan Sloan Aronson, 17, of 6112 Chowning Court, pleaded guilty to five counts of damage to personal property and two counts of damage to real property.

Aronson, Clifford Wellons Anderson, 17, of 2114 Myrtle Ave., and Hillary Ann Varner, 17, no address available, were charged with damaging and spray-painting vehicles and breaking windows and smashing in mailboxes with a baseball bat in the Carolina Country Club and Brookhaven areas of Raleigh on Jan. 1.

In one case, another Broughton High student and her boyfriend were injured when the back window of her car was smashed.

"I lost control of myself that night," Aronson told District Court Judge Jennifer Knox.

Knox asked Aronson if he was stupid, and defense lawyer Bill Finn said the teen isn't.

"Logan doesn't want to be the type of person he was that night," Finn said.

Under a plea agreement in which about three dozen other charges were dropped against him, Aronson was given 45-day suspended sentences and was placed on supervised probation for 18 months. He also was ordered to pay at least $31,300 in damages – the total amount of damage in the case is expected to top $80,000 – and a $100 fine.

The plea deal also calls for him to perform 100 hours of community service, undergo substance abuse counseling and abide by a curfew of 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weeknights and 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekends, unless he is working or with his parents.

When Aronson admitted he had been drinking and driving that night, Knox personally cut up his driver's license and ordered him not to drive for a year.

Finn said Aronson had written personal notes of apology to each victim in the case and would mail them in the coming days. The teen also apologized to three victims who attended the court hearing.

"I'm so sorry for what happened that night, and I hope someday you can forgive me. I really am sorry," he said.

The victims said they didn't think the apology was sincere.

"The apology, I think, was just (lacking). I didn't feel like it was heartfelt," Joette Woodall said. "The fear, at 3 a.m. in the morning, to be awakened by something like that was very, very scary."

"I don't think there's a concept for him and his parents over the fear that's instilled in the community. That's something that can't be settled with any court case," Tim Edwards said.

Finn said Aronson is trying to get his life back on track with the help of his parents.

"There's sort of a level and a limit to what the judge did to him, and I can tell you that doesn't even come close to what his parents are doing as well," he said.

Anderson has been charged with 36 counts of injury to personal property, five counts of injury to real property and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon in the case. Varner has been charged with 36 counts of injury to personal property, six counts of injury to real property and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

Both are due in court next month.

RELATED TOPICS: Brookhaven, Raleigh

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i thought all of you should know that clifford anderson also has court for a felony and three misdameanors not pertaining to this incident but for another completely seperate incident!!!!

I agree....they got off.

I do like the Judge's theatric efforts, but I have a feeling it'll backfire.

If the parents are't paying attention, the kids aren't either.

The parents should be held accountable (significantly fined- can you say 2nd mortgage) for the crimes of their kids. You give birth to them....you own them until 18. You better know where the heck they are.

I don't think public embarrassment works anymore.

The Judge was not hard on him as some of you wrote. I appreciate what he did in giving him the hours, plus the money to replace the property. Too many of you want to slap the hands. They are our future leaders. He deserved this and a little more. I think that some of our parents have been in similar situations and they want to say I'm sorry. Well, I would hope that some will realize that if you don't give these kids some discipline, then they will get out of hand. How many times have we read this type of story?

Wow, I am amazed by some of the posts. I agree that we were all teens who may have done foolish things, but causing $80,000 worth of damage to someone else's property qualifies as a little more than a foolish "teen" thing! He knew better! What gives someone the right to inflict damage on someone else’s property? Weren’t they participating in under-aged drinking at the time? Where were the parents while they were out getting drunk at 3 am? If he has a curfew & is being "punished by the parents" now, why didn't they step up before? I'm sure this wasn't his first time! Stories of teens & under-aged drinking have been in the news far too often, usually with horrible outcomes! The problem with all of these young punks/thugs is that they have no respect/accountability/responsibility & there’s no consequence for their actions, many of the parents are either absent or want to be their kids’ friend/peer instead of parenting & the judicial system is doing far too much "wrist slapping"!

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