Former Orange Coast College gets six months in jail for vandalism and related charges

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Case # 17WF1373

Date: August 30, 2018

FORMER OCC STUDENT SENTENCED TO SIX MONTHS IN JAIL FOR VANDALIZING CAMPUS SAFETY VEHICLES AND VIOLATING PROTECTIVE ORDER TO STAY AWAY FROM CAMPUS

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A former Orange Coast College (OCC) student was sentenced today to six months in jail for vandalizing two campus safety vehicles and violating a protective order to stay away from the school campus.

Defendant: Robert Bouton McDougal, 21, Costa Mesa

Pleaded guilty to the court on July 12, 2018 to the following misdemeanor counts:

• Remaining on campus without consent
• (3) Resisting and obstructing an officer
• (2) Violating a protective order
• (2) Vandalism – Damage $400 or more
• Unlawfully providing false information to police officer

Sentence:

• Six months in Orange County Jail
• Three years formal probation

Circumstances of the Case

• On Feb. 27, 2017, McDougal disturbed a public school after running into his former professor’s classroom and shouting a racial slur at the campus security officer who subdued him.
• Shortly after the incident, McDougal was suspended from OCC for two years.
• Additionally, McDougal was ordered by a court to stay away from the OCC campus and have no contact with his former professor.
• The defendant returned to OCC campus several times between on April 21, 2017, and May 25, 2017, in violation the protective orders against him.
• On March 7, 2017, McDougal remained on campus without consent, and resisting and obstructing an officer when being removed from the campus.
• On or about March 13, 2017, McDougal vandalized two campus safety vehicles with obscenities, including a swastika and racial slur, and slashing their tires.
• An OCC campus security officer approached the defendant, who then fled the scene.
• Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) was notified of the vandalism and arrested McDougal at his home later that day.
• Hate crime charges were not filed in this case because hate crime charges are specific intent crimes that require proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant’s actions were substantially motivated by his or her bias; this requirement was not met due to insufficient evidence in this case.

Prosecutor: Deputy District Attorney Angela Hong, Special Prosecutions Unit.

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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