DELTONA, Fla. — Two boys were turned in by their mothers Monday to face charges after investigators said the youths caused about $50,000 in damage to the media center of a central Florida elementary school.
The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said the 12- and 13-year-old boys broke into Friendship Elementary School on Saturday during the daytime and later returned at night to cause further damage. Video posted by the sheriff's office showed a shattered glass door, overturned tables and shelves, shredded books and graffiti inside the media center.
The sheriff's office said the boys confessed to the vandalism in a social media post. Authorities charged them with burglary, trespassing, criminal mischief and theft. The office did not immediately release the boys' names.
Friendship Elementary is in Deltona, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Orlando. The sheriff's office estimated the cost to repair and replace the damaged property at roughly $50,000. Investigators described the incidents as separate entries, first during the day and again at night, and said the additional nighttime return caused much of the reported destruction.
The sheriff's office released video and photographs of the damaged media center to document the scene. The images show broken glass, overturned furniture and scattered, torn books, which an office statement said reflected both the physical damage and the disruption to school resources.
Officials did not immediately provide details on where the youths would be held or the schedule for court proceedings. Under Florida law, juveniles charged with offenses such as burglary and criminal mischief can be processed through the juvenile justice system; the sheriff's office did not specify whether prosecutors would seek to file any charges in adult court.
School officials and district representatives had not issued an immediate statement to the sheriff's office release. Investigators said the case remained under review and that additional charges could be possible as the inquiry continued.
The arrests follow a broader national concern about school vandalism and the impact on educational resources, with school media centers often bearing the cost of repairs and replacements when facilities are damaged. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said community members with information about the incidents should contact investigators.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
