Police: Elementary school boys – ages 7, 8 and 9 – vandalize Waterford church

Three young boys, ages 7, 8 and 9, are facing charges including burglary and vandalism for allegedly breaking into a Waterford church and causing more than $500 in damages.

Waterford deputies took two reports of break-ins at the Church of Christ on North Pasadena Avenue earlier this week.

Fire retardant from two extinguishers was sprayed all over the floors and walls. Hot chocolate powder and tea, mixed with water, was dumped on the floor along with stir sticks and sugar packets. Pages were ripped from a bible and a song book. An outdoor child’s toy was filled with dirt and water, then drug into the kitchen.

“This has been a very shocking experience to go through,” said church elder Don Lutzenberg.

More shocking was that young boys had committed the acts but when church staff learned their ages, “We weren’t surprised because, where they had sprayed the fire extinguisher, we could see their (small) footprint.”

Waterford Police Services posted pictures of the damage on its Facebook page, asking for the public’s help identifying the suspects. Sgt. Juan Alanis said one of the boys’ mothers saw the posts and confronted her son, who admitted to breaking in with his friends.

Lutzenberg said the first break-in was discovered Sunday and happened some time after Wednesday. There was minimal damage beyond two broken windows. But on Tuesday he met a contractor at the church to get an estimate to replace the windows when he discovered two more were broken and the huge mess inside.

The damage was in the church’s multipurpose room, kitchen, nursery and an office.

A child under the age of 14 can be charged with a crime if the child understands the act is wrong. The probation department ultimately would decide the best course of action of the children.

This story was originally published March 16, 2016 at 7:45 PM with the headline "Police: Elementary school boys – ages 7, 8 and 9 – vandalize Waterford church."