High Springs Duo Detained: Man Accused of Instructing Teen to Vandalize Van

In High Springs, Florida, two teenagers, Christian A. Morales, 18, and Isaiah Ramos, 16, found themselves in legal trouble following an incident involving property damage. Morales allegedly instructed Ramos to hurl rocks at a van, inflicting substantial harm.

The High Springs Police Department had earlier sought public assistance by releasing a photograph of the duo. This image, captured around 1:00 a.m. on February 17, showed the pair walking along U.S. Highway 441 near Civic Center Park.

That same day, law enforcement was alerted by a business owner whose vehicle had suffered damages estimated at $2,500. The damaged vehicle was a property of the business, prompting the owner to reach out for police intervention.

Upon identifying the suspects, a High Springs Police Department officer reported on Ramos’s account of the events. Ramos disclosed his initial ignorance of the business until Morales expressed a desire for revenge against the owner, portraying it as a matter of personal resentment rather than a business dispute. According to Ramos, both teenagers collected rocks from the Civic Center before proceeding to the business site. There, Morales instructed Ramos to throw the rocks at the vehicle while he kept watch.

After the suspects were identified, a HSPD officer reported that Ramos said he didn’t know anything about the business until Morales told him he wanted to get revenge on the business owner; he said Morales had framed it as personal resentment against the owner, not the business. Ramos reportedly said that both of them picked up rocks from the Civic Center and then walked to the business, and then Morales told him to throw rocks at the vehicle while acting as lookout.

The officer reported that surveillance video shows Morales and Ramos hiding behind signs when traffic approached the business, and Morales appeared to be acting as a lookout.

Morales has been charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Because the charge involves a minor, his criminal history was not posted; he has been released from the jail.

Ramos has been charged as a juvenile with felony property damage. Because he is a juvenile, no further information is available.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.