Three teenagers are facing serious trouble for a weekend break-in at Winfield Middle School. Principal Gary Cook says he got a call on Saturday morning from officials with the youth basketball league about damages to the gymnasium.
“They gained access through the demolition part of the existing building and knocked down plywood doors leading to the gymnasium,” said Cook.
The school is in the middle of a construction/demolition project as a new addition is added. The vandals turned over a scrubbing machine and spilled water on the gym floor. The floor is now warped from the water.
Cook said the trio then used a dumb bell weight to break down the door to the coach’s office. Once inside they used a golf club to smash several computers, a pop machine, and destroyed some golf and archery equipment which was stored there.
“There’s a deputy who lives adjacent to the football field and he noticed the lights on about 1:30 on Saturday morning,” said Cook. “He came over and they were just in there having a heyday.”
The deputy arrested all three individuals. One is 18 and according to Cook was jailed on charges of vandalism. The other two are 17 years old and were released to the custody of their parents.
No other information on the suspects is available. Cook says the vandals did not gain access to the newly constructed part of the school.