A teenager painted a swastika on an Orting church, Pierce County prosecutors say

A man admitted to police that he spray-painted a swastika on a church in Orting and vandalizing other areas throughout the town in the days prior, Pierce County prosecutors said Friday.

The 18-year-old was arraigned Friday in Pierce County Superior Court on one count of second-degree malicious mischief. He was released to a Yelm address on his own recognizance and ordered to stay away from the properties he’s charged with vandalizing.

According to court records:

An Orting police officer was on routine patrol about 2 a.m. Monday and saw a series of signs, buildings and fences that had been vandalized overnight. The officer’s investigation eventually led to the 18-year-old, who agreed to meet with him Thursday.

The officer took the teen to the police station, where he admitted to spray-painting a swastika on a church in the 100 block of Corrin Avenue Southwest as well as defacing the Calistoga Street bridge over the Puyallup River.

During the interview, the 18-year-old told the officer about other places in Orting that had been vandalized with spray paint that the officer didn’t even know about yet.

Repairs to the church cost $2,000, and costs to repair the bridge have not yet been determined.