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Boys, 12 and 13, face felony charges after vandalism at Deltona elementary school causes $50K in damage

Incident happened at Friendship Elementary

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A 12-year-old and 13-year-old are accused of breaking into the media center of an elementary school in Deltona and causing $50,000 in damage, according to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office on Sunday said deputies who responded to a fire alarm at Friendship Elementary discovered a glass door had been shattered and that the media center had been vandalized.

Damage to the media center at Friendship Elementary in Deltona. (Volusia County Sheriff's Office)

In bodycam video posted at the top of this story, deputies can be seen entering the media center where open cabinets, marked-up walls and supplies can be seen strewn across the floor.

The sheriff’s office had said cameras captured two persons of interest. In an update on Monday, deputies said the mothers of the two boys turned them in. Due to their ages, News 6 is not naming them or showing their mug shots.

“Once we post on social media, it blows up — I don’t know how many tips come in telling us who these two little cherubs are and the mothers of both the little cherubs call us,” Sheriff Mike Chitwood said. “I’ve got to give the moms credit. They called us, they didn’t tell the kids we were coming and when they were questioned, they confessed to what they did. One of them then went up to the bedroom and got out some items that were stolen from the school - a radio and some digital cameras - and turned them over to us.”

Deputies in Volusia County are looking to identify two persons of interest after a elementary school in Deltona was vandalized. (Volusia County Sheriff's Office)

Deputies said the boys confessed to the incident, saying they were bored. The two boys broke into the school during the day and returned in the evening to “look at the damage and cause more,” the sheriff’s office said.

The boys are facing felony charges of burglary and criminal mischief, along with charges of trespassing on school grounds and theft.


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