Juveniles caught after break-in, setting off school extinguishers

Published 12:00 am Thursday, June 7, 2007

By BEN LUNDIN

Staff Reporter

RESERVE – Three juveniles allegedly broke in to Fifth Ward Elementary School early Monday morning and discharged 10 fire extinguishers in an attempt to cure their boredom, the St. John Sheriff’s Office reports.

The trio, ages 13, 14 and 15 were booked with juvenile curfew violation, criminal damage to property and simple burglary of an immovable structure at the St. James Juvenile Detention Center, where they will be held until a hearing is scheduled.

The three boys reportedly set of an alarm at 12:01 a.m. on Monday morning when they forced open a door before they grabbed the fire extinguishers and discharged them throughout the school.

Officers arrived at the school less than 15 minutes after the alleged break-in and entered through an open door when they heard another door slam shut, possibly caused by the fleeing boys.

By checking security tapes, deputies learned of the boy’s identities and roughly one hour after the break-in arrested the three boys in the 200 block of Chad B. Baker Street.

The trio reportedly confessed to the crime and said it was done out of boredom. The cost of damages to school property was not available at press time.

The 13 and 14-year-olds were former students of Fifth Ward Elementary, but none of the students were enrolled since last school year.