Homewood Acres Fire Dept. Needs Money After Kids Damage Entire Station

HOMEWOOD, IL — A group of four kids are accused of causing nearly $100,000 in damage to the Homewood Acres volunteer firehouse over Memorial Day Weekend, the Cook County Sheriff's Department said.

According to firefighters from the unincorporated district, the group was caught on camera vandalizing every room of the 3860 183rd Street property Saturday. The damage includes appliances ripped from the wall, furniture toppled over and broken windows.

Surveillance footage from the outside and interior of the building shows two kids throwing something through a side window and using a ladder to climb inside. Two other kids meet them inside the building with hammers in their hands.

A GoFundMe for the firehouse had already raised almost $7,000 for the crew as of Thursday.

"We have insurance that will cover the replacement of most things, but need odds and ends covered," the organizer wrote on the fundraiser. "We still need to maintain service to our residents while we are recovering."

Homewood Acres Fire Protection District is an unincorporated group that covers a subdivision within the village of Homewood.