The Kalispell Police Department likely will recommend that up to five youths between the ages of 12 and 13 be charged with criminal mischief after 23 vehicles were damaged with spray paint early Thursday morning, according to Chief Roger Nasset.

A resident of Second Avenue East North first alerted police at 3:56 a.m. after returning home to find a group of youths vandalizing vehicles.

According to police, the witness chased the youths and caught a girl. She later was taken into custody by Kalispell Police.

The ensuing investigation revealed that seven additional youths — four boys and three girls — were staying at a residence on the northeast side of Kalispell without supervision.

They were all taken into custody for questioning, Nasset said.

“Essentially the investigation has shown that five of those juveniles staying in the house unattended had a part in the criminal mischief,” Nasset said.

He added that two of the children appear to be responsible for the majority of the damage. He said the suspects sprayed vulgar words on some vehicles and on others sprayed randomly.

Total damages are expected to be in the thousands of dollars.

“That’s going to take at least a week to figure out,” Nasset said.

The damaged vehicles were found within a “six block rectangle” between Nevada and Oregon Street, mostly on Second Avenue East North and Third Avenue East North.

“It doesn’t appear that there was any targeting going on,” Nasset said. “It looks like it was random.”

All of the youths had been released as of Thursday afternoon. Nasset said his department would forward its investigation to city or county attorneys when the investigation is complete.

He said police still are piecing together the circumstances that led to the youths being left home alone.  The owners of the home were out of town, he said.

“I’m sure the parents, at least all of them, didn’t know they were unsupervised at the residence,” Nasset said.

The case remains under investigation and police ask victims to contact the Kalispell Police Department at 758-7780 if they haven’t filed reports.