Forty homes at Mountain Home have become victims of a crime spree by a group of teenagers that police believe are responsible for the thefts and destructions of Christmas decorations. Police said that they linked these teenagers to the crimes after glitters at the backseat of a car were found.
Mountain Home Police Lt. Jesse Cobos said in a statement that they have received around 30 reports of slashed inflatables, stolen decorations and broken lights on Monday evening. The decorations were said to be found in possession of these teenagers, who have not been named. The arrests were made on Tuesday, NWCN reported.
Police said that in one of the homes that the teens allegedly stole from had a neighbor with a surveillance camera. As per the footage, the culprits were caught on camera, as well as the possible getaway vehicle they used.
Officers then found the car that matched the description at a parking lot of a local high school. The stolen items were not recovered inside the vehicle but officers said that glitters and broken ornaments were in the back seat, KTVB.com reported.
The suspects reportedly told the investigators where the stolen decorations were. Officials added that once the teens knew they were caught in the act, they gave information regarding the whereabouts of the stolen ornaments. Also, the suspects reportedly targeted projector lights, which are used to shine images of snowflakes or other scenes related to Christmas on the front of a home.
The teenagers are said to be in junior high or high school. It was not specifically stated what their ages are or their genders. Their names have not been released in the pubic as well.
They have not been charged with anything yet but the charges are expected to be announced soon. The motive in the incident is yet to be released but it is believed that these teenagers were just being mischievous.
The decorations will be given back to the rightful owners but officers first have to document each item and match it with the police reports before they could be brought back. However, authorities said this would be a time-consuming process because some homeowners had identical styles and brands of the stolen decorations.
