Tip leads to teens’ arrest in school vandalism case

Two 17-year-old boys appeared in Grant County Juvenile Court on Thursday after they were arrested in connection with an act of vandalism that flooded a major portion of Almira/Coulee-Hartline High School on Nov. 26.

Two Grant County detectives and a deputy had been working on the case since the damage was discovered, Detective Eric Talbot said.

The youths are accused of forcing their way into the school over Thanksgiving break and stealing about $13,000 worth of digital cameras and other electronic equipment. The burglars then turned on three water spigots on the second floor that sent water rushing through the ceiling and into the walls.

“They thought it may be fun, I don’t know,” Talbot said. “They didn’t indicate why they did it.”

The vandalism forced district officials to close the school for two days as they shifted desks and equipment to other areas of the school, which was built in 1928 and had plenty of room to accommodate the move.

However, the flood damage required the closure of the old gym, which had been used for wrestling practice, Talbot said.

One of the boys arrested attends the school; the other does not, Talbot said. The Sheriff’s Office did not release the names of the suspects because of their age. Both are charged with burglary and felony malicious mischief, Talbot said.

The case broke just before the end of the year when a friend of the suspects came forward to investigators. The suspects had confided in the friend what they had done, Talbot said.

Detectives then obtained a search warrant for two homes in the area and recovered several electronic items that had been stolen from the school. The suspects did not live at either of the homes searched, Talbot said.

Based on the results of the search, investigators obtained arrest warrants and took the boys into custody on Wednesday without incident. Both suspects gave statements to detectives.

“One of them implicated himself and the other suspect,” Talbot said. “We are very glad to make an arrest in this case to give closure to some of the people up there.”