3 Boys Charged In LW North Vandalism

FRANKFORT, IL — Three boys were taken into custody stemming from break-ins and vandalism last month at Lincoln-Way North High School that resulted in thousands of dollars in damage to the shuttered school, according to the Will County Sheriff's Office. The boys were charged with criminal damage to state-supported property, criminal trespass to a state-supported property and theft, the sheriff's office said in a statement Thursday. The case is still under investigation and more arrests are expected, the agency said.

Five people allegedly broke in to L-W North, 19900 Harlem Ave., through the cafeteria's west doors in December and sprayed several of the school's fire extinguishers throughout the building, causing around $5,000 in damage, according to authorities. Door and window frames around the building were damaged, water damage was done to a science lab, and clothing and keys were stolen, as well, the sheriff's office said Thursday.

Security camera video captured five suspects in the school building on two separate occasions in December, according to the sheriff's office. The boys were brought in for questioning by detectives after investigators found evidence that they could be possible suspects in the break-ins and vandalism, the sheriff's office said. They were arrested and charged Thursday, the agency added.

RELATED: LW North Vandals Spray Fire Extinguishers, Cause $5K In Damage

Since its closing following the 2015-16 school year, L-W North has received the same security guard staffing measures as the other three operational schools in Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210, said Taryn Atwell, community relations director for the school system. The Frankfort Square Park District also has been occupying parts of the building since the closing, and the park district uses the campus for various programs, she added.

Before Thursday's charges against the boys were filed, Atwell told Patch deputy patrols had been stepped up around L-W North since the vandalism.

The District 210 school board voted, 5-2, to close L-W North in August of 2015 as a cost-cutting measure after the school system landed on the state's financial watch list. Despite legal challenges and a fight from parents, the school, which drew students from Frankfort, Frankfort Square, Tinley Park and Mokena, officially shuttered its doors in June of 2016.

Patch will continue to update this story.

Lincoln-Way North High School (Photo via Patch archive)