By Alan Sorensen
Three men are facing charges as the result of a series of criminal complaints called in to the Hill County Sheriff's Office during the past month.
The complaints began with a call from members of the East End Colony who said a motorist trespassed onto their property. The motorist spun around in the Hutterite yard, frightening several young children who were outside, the callers said.
After obtaining a description of the vehicle, deputies developed a suspect. Deputies subsequently brought the suspect in for questioning. He reportedly told them that he and several other people were involved in numerous criminal mischief complaints that had been called in throughout November.
Five of the reports were called in on Nov. 15 and had been reported in the paper. Included in those acts of vandalism were damages to a mailbox and road signs, slashed tires, and a broken railroad crossing sign. The vandals placed the crossing sign in the roadway and a traffic accident ensued. No one was injured in that accident.
During the course of their investigation, deputies determined that some of the same suspects were involved in several incidents of vandalism reported on Oct. 17. Vandalized in those incidents were several mailboxes and about a dozen road signs knocked down south of Havre.
The deputies' reports were forwarded to the county attorney for review. Charges are pending against two 21-year-old men and an 18-year-old man.
