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Highlands Today

Three Juveniles Arrested For Burglarizing Sebring School

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By BRAD DICKERSON

Highlands Today

Published: December 23, 2008

SEBRING - Three juveniles were taken into custody early Saturday morning for allegedly burglarizing Woodlawn Elementary School.

One of the juveniles is 13 years of age, while the other two are 12. They were all charged with burglary of an unoccupied structure while unarmed, trespassing on school grounds, third-degree grand larceny and resisting an officer without violence.

Officers with the Sebring Police Department were dispatched to the school just before 1:30 a.m. Saturday in reference to an alarm. As law enforcement started a check of the grounds, the three subjects were seen coming out of one of the classrooms, with "school-type backpacks" in their possession, according to the arrest report.

Once the juveniles saw the officer, they reportedly ran away, dropped the backpacks on the ground and tried to hide underneath one of the portable classrooms.

After the three got out from under the classroom, one of the juveniles allegedly tried to throw away a small digital camera, the report stated. The camera and the backpacks were later recovered.

The three reportedly told law enforcement they were breaking into classrooms and stealing "stuff." A check of the school revealed four separate rooms had been entered.

In a sworn taped interview, the juveniles said they entered the classrooms and took items from inside, the report stated. Those items included one backpack, food, three digital cameras and four notebooks.

The stolen items were valued at approximately $416.

While the check of the grounds was being conducted, two of the juveniles reportedly incriminated themselves on the in-car camera system by, "placing themselves on school grounds with the intent to steal stuff." One of them claimed to have picked up a laptop to steal, but put it down.

SPD Officer Daniel Cordero made the arrest.

Highlands Today reporter Brad Dickerson can be reached at (863) 386-5838 or bdickerson@highlandstoday.com

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