old arrested for graffiti on Dorchester school

A 16-year-old boy was arrested for spray-painting graffiti on the walls of a Dorchester elementary school on Thursday afternoon, police said.

Officers responded about 12:56 p.m. to a report of vandalism in progress at 35 Brookford St. , the address of the public John Winthrop Elementary School, Boston police said.

When they arrived, officers found two people matching a description of the alleged vandals inside the fenced play area of the school. They also saw fresh spray paint on a wall and a staircase, police said in a statement.

"After further investigation, officers located a spray paint can inside the backpack of one of the individuals," police said.

The 16-year-old was arrested and is facing delinquency charges of damage to property by graffiti, destruction to a schoolhouse, and trespassing, police said. He is expected to be arraigned in the Roxbury division of Boston Municipal Court.

The other person, who is male but whose age was not released, was summonsed for trespassing, police said. No further information was immediately available.

Adam Sennott can be reached at .