4 teenagers suspected in vandalism
State police report they identified four 15-year-olds in an alleged crime spree earlier this week at the Center Township Athletic Association baseball complex.
The Butler area teens — three boys and one girl — are suspected Tuesday of breaking into the complex on Mercer Road in Center Township, stealing food from a concession stand and vandalizing buildings and other property — including carving racial and homophobic slurs into wooden picnic tables.
One of the suspects admitted his involvement and implicated the others, police Cpl. Tim Morando said Thursday. Police did not release names of the teens involved.
The four teens are all facing at least two felonies in the incident. Morando also did not rule out that there could be other suspects.
Association officials notified police after discovering the crimes Wednesday. Allen Hoehn, the organization’s field director, told the Butler Eagle four buildings at the complex had been broken into.
Additionally, the concession stand had been looted of food, racial and homophobic slurs had been carved into picnic tables and obscenities spray painted on buildings.
Police said they believe the suspects found the spray paint after forcing their way into one of the buildings. The obscenities were sprayed inside a garage and one of the dugouts.
Morando said police have recovered one of the paint cans.
Police are still waiting for the association to provide them with a written estimate of the vandalism and value of the stolen food.
The crime spree, police said, happened Tuesday “during daylight hours,” Morando said.
Police said all four suspects would be charged with burglary, trespass, theft and criminal mischief. The burglary and trespass charges are felonies.
The theft and criminal mischief charges could be misdemeanors or felonies, depending on the monetary value of the damaged and stolen property.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police at 724-284-8100.
