Suspects range in age from 5 to 12 in latest incident of vandalism

MOSES LAKE — Grant County deputies have taken seven juveniles between the ages of 5 and 12 into custody for vandalism and theft at North Elementary.

The incident occurred Thursday shortly before 10:30 p.m.

Chief Deputy John Turley said Monday various items were taken from headphones, pencils, pens, to several laser pointers, cassette tape recorders and a compact disc.

Damage is estimated at $1,500.

"It's frustrating and it's money that could be used somewhere else," said Moses Lake School District Special Assistant to the Superintendent P.J. De Benedetti.

Turley said all of the juveniles have confessed with the exception of a 12-year-old female, the oldest in the group.

The incident is not thought to be gang related.

In a statement released from the Grant County Sheriff's Office the arrests were made with assistance from an observant neighbor in the neighborhood surrounding North Elementary, located in the 1200 block of north Craig Street.

Five of the seven juveniles were booked into the Grant County Juvenile Detention Center and charged with second-degree burglary, third-degree theft, third-degree possession of stolen property and third-degree malicious mischief.

The other two juveniles, ages 5 and 6, were turned over to the custody of parents.

In recent months both North and Larson elementary schools have been the target of ongoing vandalism, theft and malicious mischief.

Earlier this spring Larson Elementary had its playground equipment set on fire costing more than $5,000 in damages.

It is not known if the juveniles arrested in this latest incident were responsible for the incident in the spring.

De Benedetti said over the course of the 2005-2006 school year vandalism has cost the district more than $25,000.

So far this summer most of the vandalism De Benedetti and other district administration have seen on school grounds has been graffiti, broken sprinkler heads and windows.

"The county has been working with us to try and increase the amount of surveillance they're doing," he said.