Vernon police believe they've found the suspects responsible for a string of vandalism at two town elementary schools -- and caught one thanks to a report card he dropped.
The first case happened on Sunday, Nov. 9. Police responded to a burglar alarm at Northeast Elementary School at about 10:40 p.m.. Whoever set it off was gone by the time they arrived, but came back just before 3 a.m. and set off the alarm again, police said. The second time, police say they found evidence at the scene that someone had broken into the school and committed a burglary.
The break in the case came for police when an alert resident told police he saw two subjects running through his yard at about the time of the burglary. The resident checked his yard and found that one of the people running by had dropped a piece of paper.
Police say that piece of paper was a Tolland High School report card, complete with the name and address of a 16-year-old boy. Police interviewed the teen, who confessed to breaking into the school. They say he also named a 15-year-old friend who committed the crime with him. Both teens will face criminal charges.
The second incident happened on Monday, November 10. Police say that Maple Street School was vandalized in the overnight hours, with walls covered in graffiti and between 7 and 8 windows broken. School officials tipped off police about three kids who may have been involved.
Police say three juveniles -- two 13-year-olds and a 12-year-old -- were interviewed and admitted responsibility for the damage. All three will be referred to Juvenile Court.
Police say they two incidents were not connected.
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The total cost of the damage to the two schools is still being tallied.
