Two 16-year-olds were taken into custody Aug. 13 in connection with burglaries and vandalism at multiple Lake Elsinore Unified School District schools and a church in Wildomar, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.
The incidents resulted in more than $300,000 in estimated damage, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies assigned to the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station began investigating the incidents after receiving reports of burglaries and vandalism at multiple schools in July and August. The station’s Robbery and Burglary Suppression Team took over the investigation.
During the investigation, deputies also identified a church in the 34000 block of Monte Vista Drive in Wildomar that was burglarized and vandalized, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators identified two 16-year-old juveniles from outside the school district as suspects in the incidents at the schools and church.
On Aug. 13, deputies located one of the suspects in the 16000 block of Lakeshore Drive and took the juvenile into custody without incident, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies served search warrants at both suspects’ residences and seized evidence related to the crimes. During the service of warrants, deputies located and took the second suspect into custody without incident.
Both juveniles were booked into Juvenile Hall on burglary and vandalism charges, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation remains ongoing, and the Sheriff’s Office said no additional details are available.
Anyone with information about the incidents is asked to contact Deputy Pohlman at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station at 951-245-3300.
