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WINTON – Charges have been filed against one juvenile and three others are sought in connection to costly vandalism inflicted upon the Hertford County Office of Aging / Senior Center.

Hertford County Sheriff Dexter Hayes said there was an alarm call at 10:29 pm on Sunday, April 30 at the CS Brown STEM School located in Winton. Upon arrival, deputies located a broken window, prompting a search of the school’s interior. There, deputies found that someone forcefully entered a locked room where the surveillance system was located and destroyed the system.

Deputies then canvassed the area and located a damaged door leading inside the Office of the Aging building, which is located behind the school. While searching that building, deputies noticed that all the electronics (computers, televisions, phones, etc.) had been vandalized and destroyed. All the chairs and tables were flipped over, appliances were damaged, and common household liquids (dish soap/chocolate syrup) were spread on the floors and walls.

A vehicle owned by Hertford County and assigned to the Office of the Aging was taken during the incident and returned sometimes prior to the alarm call. It was also damaged.

Estimates of the damages are still being processed on both buildings and equipment at this time.

Deputies were able to view the camera footage at the school before the incident took place and noticed four young males, all wearing masks, in and around the buildings.

Through further investigation, one of the juveniles was identified. A juvenile petition was obtained that night and a 16-year-old male was placed in secured custody. He is charged on a juvenile petition with two counts of felony breaking and entering, one count of felony larceny, one count of felony breaking and entering into a motor vehicle, and one court of felony larceny of a motor vehicle. The teen was also charged with multiple misdemeanor counts of injury to personal property, and injury to real property.

Investigators are still working on identifying the other three males. Upon apprehension they will be charged with the same crimes.