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CEDAR CITY — Police arrested six juveniles after a few months of continued vandalism in the Cedar City area.
The vandalism spree began May 29 when several juveniles broke into the Three Peaks Elementary School at 1685 W. Midvalley Road, according to Iron County Sheriff’s Office Detective Nathan Houchen.
The teens stole several iPads, laptops and an overhead projecter from the school, Houchen said.
The juveniles also drew graffiti on several of the desks and broke a window. The stolen items and damage was estimated to be around $7,000, Houchen said.
The vandalism continued July 20 when the teens poured gasoline on a street and lit it on fire in a Cedar Valley subdivision. They also stole five vehicles from different areas in Cedar Valley and later wrecked each vehicle, Houchen said.
No one was injured in any of the car accidents that began June 19 and continued until the end of July.
It was really just a crime of opportunity. They would just look around to wherever (for) any vehicles that had keys and any vehicles that were unlocked basically.
–Detective Nathan Houchen
“It was really just a crime of opportunity,” Houchen said. “They would just look around to wherever (for) any vehicles that had keys and any vehicles that were unlocked basically. I guess inexperience would be most of (the cause of the accidents), but it seemed like it was more for the fun of it. I think they purposely did some of the (wrecks).”
The juveniles were also linked to three residential burglaries around Cedar City and Enoch and more than five vehicle burglaries, Houchen said.
After extensive investigating, officers from the Iron County Sheriff’s Department and the Enoch City Police Department located the juveniles responsible for the vandalism.
Houchen said the arrests were made between Aug. 8 and Aug. 12. Two females and four males between the ages of 13 and 16 years old were arrested and charged on suspicion of vehicle theft, vehicle burglaries, residential burglaries, burglary of a school, criminal mischief and reckless burning.
Houchen said several of the juveniles had criminal histories. Several of the teens were booked into a juvenile detention center in Cedar City.
