A person who intentionally causes damage to another's property is committing what?

When a person intentionally causes damage to another's property, the act is classified as criminal mischief. This term encompasses a range of actions that result in the destruction or defacement of someone else’s property. The essential element is the intention behind the act; the perpetrator must have knowingly and willfully damaged the property.

Criminal mischief is a specific legal term that captures the intent to harm another's possessions, and it is distinct in legal terminology from related offenses, allowing for various degrees of severity based on the extent of the damage. While vandalism is often used in general terms to describe acts of defacing or damaging property, criminal mischief offers a more precise legal definition and framework under which such actions can be prosecuted.

The other options, such as theft and assault, do not apply in this context. Theft involves unlawfully taking another's property with the intent to permanently deprive them of it, while assault generally refers to causing or threatening to cause physical harm to a person, not their property. Hence, the designation of criminal mischief accurately identifies the crime based on the intention and action that leads to property damage.