Teen faces hate crime charges for vandalism incidents

SHAWANO — A Shawano teen already charged with auto theft and vandalism has also been charged with hate crimes for graffiti painted on two Shawano schools.

The graffiti found at Shawano Community Middle School July 22 and Shawano Community High School Aug. 7 included obscene images, racial slurs, a swastika and a reference to “88,” which in some circles stands for “Heil Hitler,” according to the criminal complaint.

Payton M. Pagel, 18, is charged with three counts of criminal damage to property and three counts of making lewd, obscene or indecent drawings.

Normally, those would be misdemeanors, but each of those counts carries a hate crime enhancement that makes them felonies and could result in a maximum two years in prison and $10,000 fine if found guilty.

Pagel was arrested Tuesday in connection with two auto thefts that allegedly took place Monday and Tuesday. He was charged with those crimes and with vandalism for damage done to mailboxes during his joy rides.

In interviews with police, Pagel further admitted to the graffiti incidents, according to the criminal complaint.

According to the complaint, Pagel told police, “I did the high school,” and said he was present during the vandalism at Olga Brener Intermediate School.

Pagel was arrested after police received a tip that he was involved in a car theft in the city Monday morning and that there was a Snapchat video of him and another person in the stolen car.

The car was reported stolen in the 1000 block of East Zingler Avenue around 9 a.m. Monday and was later found on Riverbend Circle “almost in the water,” according to the police report.

Police contacted Pagel for questioning, but he failed to show up at the police station, according to the criminal complaint.

On Tuesday, another vehicle was reported stolen in the 1200 block of Birch Hill Lane and was found crashed into a tree in the 800 block of South Prospect Street around 6 a.m.

According to the criminal complaint, Pagel admitted to being involved in both vehicle thefts.

Pagel could face a maximum six years in prison and a $10,000 fine on each of the two counts of operating a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent if convicted.

He is also charged with felony criminal damage to property, which carries the same possible penalty, and felony theft, which carries a maximum 10 years in prison and $25,000 fine.

He is also charged with seven misdemeanor counts of criminal damage to property, including mailboxes that were reported vandalized along Robin Lane on Tuesday morning.

According to the complaint, Pagel told police he engaged in his crimes because he was bored.

“Pagel stated Shawano is boring and there is nothing for kids his age to do,” the complaint states. “Pagel stated it was just teenagers and teenager stuff. Pagel stated he and his friends would be sitting around and looking for things to do and this is the kind of things they thought up.”

Judge James Habeck set a $5,000 signature bond for Pagel.

Pagel is due back in court Sept. 3 for an initial appearance on the new charges and an adjourned initial appearance on the charges previously filed.