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.