ST. LOUIS COUNTY—Surveillance footage of a subject defacing an Affton School District middle school led St. Louis County detectives to arrest an Affton teenager.

Patrick Sloan, 18 years old, was arrested and then charged by the County’s Prosecuting Attorney’s office. He faces two counts of property damage motivated by discrimination in the second degree. Sloan is being held on a $25,000, cash-only, no 10% bond.

The prosecuting attorney’s office wishes to remind everyone that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Charges are a mere accusation.

St. Louis County Police Department Bureau of Crimes Against Property handled the investigation since racial slurs, threatening messages and offensive symbols were spray painted on two Affton School District buildings this month.

Offensive graffiti was first found at Affton High School on March 7. On March 12, Rogers Middle School was graffitied with spray paint.

Sloan admitted to a family member that he was responsible for the property damage, according to a probable cause statement from St. Louis County Police. They also stated family members and multiple other witnesses identified Sloan.

In their investigation, police connected the Rogers Middle School vandal to the theft of two black spray paint cans from a local hardware store on March 6, one day before the first vandalism incident.

Detectives said the store employee’s description of the thief was a slender build wearing all black, including a black raincoat, between 5’4” and 5’8”, with a bandana covering his face. That description matched what they saw on surveillance at Rogers Middle School.    

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Stickman through our Bureau of Communications at 636-529-8210.