A Northridge mother pleaded guilty Wednesday to driving her daughter and two other girls to addresses in Northridge, where the on a home.
Catharine Whelpley, 43, entered her plea to one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and was ordered to complete one year of parenting classes and 80 hours of community service at Jewish Family Services, according to City Attorney Carmen A. Trutanich.
Prosecutors said that on April 3, Whelpley drove her 14-year-old daughter and friends -- ages 13 and 14 -- to a home that belonged to one of the teens' former middle-school friends. The girls threw toilet paper into the trees and on the property, poured maple syrup on the front porch and smeared human feces on the homeowner's vehicle.
After vandalizing the first property, Whelpley took the teens to buy more toilet paper, according to prosecutors. The mother then drove to the second victim's home, where the girls again threw toilet tissue over the property, smeared human feces on the porch and poured maple syrup on the homeowner's car.
At the second home, reportedly owned by the son of a Holocaust survivor, Whelpley's daughter wrote the word "Jew" and drew swastikas in maple syrup while her mother waited in the car and then drove the three back to her house, according to the City Attorney's Office.
The girls were not charged, but the teens faced disciplinary action at their school.
If Whelpley successfully completes the parenting classes and the community service within the year, the case will be reduced to an infraction. Additionally, Whelpley has attended the Museum of Tolerance program with her daughter and wrote letters of apology to the victims, the city attorney said.
"It is important that persons responsible for such conduct, including parents, have taken responsibility for their improper actions," Trutanich said. "Hopefully, these enforcement actions will deter others from engaging in such bad conduct."
[This following news release comes from the office of the city attorney.]
City Attorney Carmen A. Trutanich today announced that a Northridge mother entered a guilty plea and was ordered among other conditions, to attend parenting classes following a conviction for aiding her daughter and her daughter’s friends in , including the smearing of human feces and scrawling of swastikas and the word “Jew,” at two homes in the San Fernando Valley belonging to the daughter’s former friends. City Attorney Neighborhood Prosecutor Ayelet Feiman successfully prosecuted the case.
“It is important that persons responsible for such conduct, including parents, have taken responsibility for their improper actions,” said City Attorney Carmen A. Trutanich. “Hopefully, these enforcement actions will deter others from engaging in such bad conduct.”
Defendant Catharine Whelpley, 43, was convicted on one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Defendant Whelpley was ordered to complete one year of parenting classes and 80 hours of community service at Jewish Family Services SOVA program. If the defendant successfully completes the parenting classes and the community service within that time, the case will be reduced to an infraction. Additionally, the defendant has attended the Museum of Tolerance program with her teen-aged daughter and has written an apology letter to the victims.
On April 3, 2012, Defendant Whelpley drove her daughter, a juvenile age 14, and her daughter’s two juvenile friends, age 13 and 14, to a residence that was the home of one of their former middle school friends. The three juveniles exited Whelpley’s vehicle and threw toilet paper into the trees and on the property. The girls then poured maple syrup on the front porch and smeared human feces on the homeowner’s vehicle.
After vandalizing the first property, Defendant Whelpley drove the juveniles to the store to purchase additional toilet paper. Defendant Whelpley then drove to the second victim’s residence, where the juveniles threw toilet paper over the property, smeared human feces on the porch, and poured maple syrup on the homeowner’s vehicle. Defendant Whelpley’s daughter wrote the word “Jew” and drew swastikas in maple syrup on the victim’s property. Whelpley waited in the car for the girls, then drove them back to her residence.
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