By Ron VandenBoom
Two additional juvenile boys have come forward and been charged with theft and criminal mischief relating to acts of vandalism and theft that occurred sometime during the night of Jan. 26 in Rudyard.
This brings the total number of boys charged to five, according to a news release issued by the Hill County Sheriff's Office.
The thefts consisted of lawn ornaments, decorative flags, lettering from signs and a pop vending machine. The vending machine was valued at more than $2,000. There were several other acts of criminal mischief that occurred during the same night.
The results of the investigation at that time led to the arrest of two 17-year-old boys and one 16-year-old boy.
All three were charged with three counts each of misdemeanor theft, two counts each of misdemeanor criminal mischief and one count each of felony theft.
The vending machine and many of the other items taken during the evening were also recovered during the course of the investigation.
All five of the boys are now on probation for one year and are responsible for restitution to the victims. They also were sentenced to 50 hours of community service each.
Final disposition of these cases was a result of assistance the Hill County Sheriff's Office received from the Liberty County Sheriff's Office and Crimestoppers information received.
