Male genitalia outlined in grass killer leads to felony

It may have been intended as a prank, but what happened at a football field last month in Monroe County led to criminal charges.

Grass killer was used to leave the shape of a penis spanning the length of the Bedford Senior High School field on Aug. 30. Now, three people from Bedford Township— a 50-year-old woman, her 16-year-old daughter and a 17-year-old —face a felony charge of malicious destruction of turf or soil.

“It was a lot more than a prank given the significant damage and the disruption of school activities,” said Assistant Monroe County Prosecutor Leah Hubbard.

School events had to be moved, and “there have been countless hours of volunteer time to get the field back in playing condition,” she said.

Friday was homecoming at the school.

“It’s an unfortunate incident with unintended consequences,” said Tim Churchill, a lawyer for the mother and daughter.

The woman also faces a misdemeanor count of contributing to delinquency of children.

She was arraigned Friday and released on bond but is not being named because her daughter, who has been temporarily remanded to the Monroe County Youth Center, was charged as a juvenile and is not being identified. The teen, who Churchill said has a 4.0 grade-point average, has a hearing Tuesday.

The 17-year-old has not been arraigned yet, and his attorney could not be reached for comment.

Churchill said the mother never stepped foot on the field, adding her daughter did not partake in any of the damage that was done to field.

“I think what started out maybe in general as a prank turned out to be a very serious matter,” he said.

None of the three have a criminal history, Hubbard told the Free Press.

Court documents show the damage is between $1,000 and $20,000. Hubbard said the final amount is still being calculated, but it is closer to the larger amount.

“The community is pretty upset,” she said.

Elisha Anderson is a reporter for the Detroit Free Press