Three teens are facing charges after Putnam County Sheriff’s Office deputies say they vandalized and burglarized a closed school campus on Sunday.
Investigators say the teens caused an estimated $100,000 in damage to the now-closed Jenkins Middle School campus in Palatka, according to a news release from PCSO.
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The Palatka Fire Department first responded to the campus around 4 p.m. Sunday to reports of smoke and saw three teens running away.
The Palatka Police Department also responded and found the following damage:
- Broken windows
- Damaged toilets
- Overflowing sinks
- Damaged/broken security cameras
- 17 discharged fire extinguishers
The gym on the campus, which is owned by the City of Palatka, was also damaged and the city is investigating the damages to that building as a separate case.
The school is equipped with alarms, but they did not go off during the break-in.
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Before the security cameras were destroyed, they captured some footage of the teens. Still images of the teens were taken to Palatka Junior-Senior High School, where a youth resource deputy was able to identify the teens.
The teens, all age 14, were charged with first-degree felony burglary with more than $1,000 in damages, third-degree felony criminal mischief and third-degree preventing or obstructing extinguishment of a fire by interfering with the fire extinguishers.
PCSO did not identify the teens, saying in the release, “It is the policy of the sheriff’s office to only post names and photos of juveniles who commit crime if it specifically threatens or endangers the public.”
Photos: Teens trash now-closed Jenkins Middle School in Palatka, deputies say
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