No Charges to Be Filed in Beauty Queen Imbroglio

The beauty queen who gave up her Miss Barstow crown after she was arrested for writing with chalk on a classmate’s car will not be charged with vandalism, the San Bernardino County district attorney said Thursday.

The case against Emily Arnold had been submitted to the district attorney’s office for review. But no charges will be filed, a spokesman said, “because the conduct does not rise to the level of criminal vandalism. The case is closed.”

Her brief reign also is ended. At the Kiwanis Club’s weekly meeting at the Quality Inn on Thursday night, Emily officially handed in her tiara and the runner-up was named Miss Barstow.

“Emily put the crown on the new queen . . . and I think she’s relieved that the whole thing is over,” said Kris Watson, pageant director. “It’s been a rough month for her.”

The imbroglio began in late May, weeks after Emily was crowned before 1,000 at the Barstow High School boys’ gym. She had just turned 18 and was celebrating her pending graduation and her acceptance to the University of Arizona.

She was enjoying a traditional senior night of mischief with friends and had taken part in the annual scavenger hunt. Then she and six friends bought dozens of rolls of toilet paper and headed out on the town for a night of pranks.

They wound up in front of the home of Hayley Clair, a classmate of Emily at Barstow High. Emily and Hayley were both popular cheerleaders, honor students and student-government representatives.

They toilet-papered the house and then Emily impulsively grabbed a piece of chalk. She scrawled the words ‘NOT NICE’ and ‘MEAN’ on a car windshield.

The schoolmate’s father, Stan Clair, a California Highway Patrol sergeant, viewed the scrawling as a crime in progress.

Three squad cars sped to the scene and arrested Emily and six friends.

The father wanted the district attorney to file charges of vandalism.