While local seniors were cutting their ties with Montezuma-Cortez High School Thursday evening, two teen-age boys roamed the nearby streets, cutting the car tires of guests attending the graduation ceremony.

Cortez Police Det. Sgt. Jim Shethar said Friday that the 16-year-old boys vandalized 10 cars — slashing 15 tires in all.

The boys were caught by patrol officers in the area, Shethar said.

Shethar said that because the boys are juveniles, their names could not be released.

"The (vandalized) cars were located in and around the Cortez Middle School parking lot for graduation," Shethar said.

Shethar said that the juveniles, who are both from Cortez, used a knife to puncture the vehicles’ tires.

Shethar estimated the total damage to the vehicles at about $750. "We usually estimate $50 per tire," Shethar said.

"We offered our assistance to all of the vehicle owners who had the tires cut," said Shethar. "But they all opted to take care of the problem on their own."

School District Re-1 Superintendent Bill Thompson said Friday that he and Montezuma-Cortez High School Principal Mark Rappe were both unaware of the incident, but that he would be looking into the case further.

Thompson said that if the boys turn out to be Re-1 school district students, disciplinary action would be taken at the beginning of the next school year.