PERRYSBURG – Four boys who went on a crime spree in the Crandenbrook subdivision during the weekend are
looking at felony charges for the damage they caused.
From Saturday evening until early Sunday morning, a group of four juvenile males – including three from
Perrysburg and one from Newark, all approximately 14 years old – broke into a concession stand at
Rivercrest Park on Eckel Junction Road and stole paint that they then used to spray-paint items inside
the building. Then then worked their way north through the neighborhood, destroying mailboxes and
ripping up plants and lawn ornaments along the way, according to the Perrysburg Police Department.
"As far as reports that we have, I think it would be safe to say they’re looking at close to a dozen
mailboxes approximately," Sgt. Pat McGuire said.
In one instance, a newspaper was set on fire and placed inside one of the mailboxes.
The department is recommending charges with the Wood County Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office: of breaking and
entering and vandalism for damage at the city property; criminal damaging for the private properties;
and burglary for alcohol that was stolen from a garage.
The suspects were located after a Coe Court resident reported seeing four juveniles near his porch Sunday
morning. Based on that information, police were able to catch up to one of the boys who helped officers
locate the rest of the group.
The city police believe these crimes were not connected to the placement of pressure "Drano
bombs" that were found during the same period at the soccer fields in the township. It is not
likely that the juveniles who were charged in the city could reasonably have traveled so far on foot,
McGuire said.
He said the department has noted a new trend among high school students of "garage-hopping," in
which alcohol is stolen from refrigerators in open garages. That activity is particularly dangerous, he
said, because entering someone’s home – especially at night – could be perceived by the resident as a
more serious sort of burglary.
The sergeant said juvenile crime usually picks up every summer. He said it seems as if every year the
department handles one instance "where there’s a ridiculous amount of criminal damaging."