Boys Broke Into Preschool, Tortured Hamster
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) -- Authorities say a group of boys broke into a Santa Rosa preschool, vandalized the classroom and tortured a hamster to death.
The boys, who range in age from 11 to 14, are in juvenile custody after being caught shortly after the Saturday night break-in.
Sonoma County Sheriff's Sgt. Michael Raasch told The Press Democrat that the boys entered the YMCA preschool through a broken window. He says the suspects spread food everywhere, broke chairs, wrote gang graffiti on the walls and tortured the class hamster, which later died.
A woman playing volleyball with her family on school grounds called 911 and helped deputies track them down.
Each boy has been booked on suspicion of vandalism. Two 13-year-olds also face cruelty charges, and a 14-year-old faces a burglary charge.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
