Teens face more than 100 felony charges for Antelope school vandalism
SACRAMENTO -- A dozen Sacramento teens are facing major consequences after being connected to a string of crimes at an Antelope middle school, costing the district nearly $100,000 in damages to school property.
Six reports, between April and July, prompted a massive investigation with investigators going through hundreds of hours of surveillance video deputies say show the kids caught in the act.
"All these crimes were simply to cause havoc and mayhem," said Sgt. Amar Gandhi, sheriff's spokesperson.
Twelve teens have been identified, and 10 are now in custody while the other two are on the run. Collectively, they face a staggering 106 felony charges.
The charges include: 56 charges of burglary, 35 charges of conspiracy,11 charges of vandalism, one charge of possession and a destructive device with intent to intimidate, and one charge of reckless possession of a destructive device.
"That's having a bomb and having the intent of using the bomb. That is much more serious charge than these other ones," criminal defense attorney Blair Goss said.
Police say the teens are not students at the school, but Goss notes age will play a key role in their punishment if convicted.
"If these kids are under 14, they get a lot of benefits. The court will look to see how sophisticated they were, did they know the difference between right and wrong," Goss said.
Even with a conviction, Goss notes that the juvenile court system focuses on rehabilitation over hard times.
"They get whatever they need to make sure this doesn't happen again, but they're not going to lock them away and throw away the key," Goss said.