A Woodland man was sentenced in Colusa County Superior Court on Jan. 18 to two years in state prison for his window-breaking spree at two Colusa elementary schools, a historical landmark owned by the Colusa Unified School District, and a state office building.
Tab Edward Lenhardt Jr., 37, admitted in a plea deal to vandalizing Burchfield Primary School, Egling Middle School, and the Colusa Unified School District’s office, which is located in the former Colusa Union High School, constructed in 1926 and listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
Lenhardt was arrested just after noon on Oct. 27, near Highway 20 and Harris Street, after breaking the window in the front office of the Colusa County Fairgrounds, his last target, officials said.
Lenhardt, who does not live in Colusa but may have been stranded in the city that day, previously stated in court that he acted out of “frustration,” which law enforcement officials said is not a valid excuse.
“The District Attorney’s Office will not tolerate the targeting of the community’s institutions, period,” said Chief Prosecutor Matthew Beauchamp.
Lenhardt has an extensive criminal history in Yolo County, including felony and misdemeanor drug and theft-related convictions that date back more than a decade. In 2019, Lenhardt was convicted of possession of a controlled substance in a plea deal that dismissed charges alleging transportation of drugs for sale.
Lenhardt was on probation in Yolo County at the time of the vandalism, according to court records, and his conviction in Colusa County may be used against him in any open cases.
Lenhardt has remained in custody at the Colusa County Jail because he was determined to be a flight risk due to failing to appear in court as ordered in Yolo County.
He will receive credit for the time he has served and earned, which amounts to nearly six months off his sentence. ■