Fort Pierce residents help Police identify two juveniles responsible for causing extensive damage to local community center
Officers responded to the William’s Center, located at 3104 Avenue J, in reference a fire alarm after firefighters found that one of the building’s doors had been forced open.
When officers arrived they discovered that every room in the building had been ransacked and sustained extensive damage. At some point after the center closed at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22, 2015, the suspects entered the building and broke computers and equipment, forced open locked doors, set off fire extinguishers, and took items of value.
The center, which houses the Boys and Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County Administrative offices and the Garden Terrace Unit of the Boys and Girls Clubs, a Fort Pierce Housing Authority administrative office, and a Fort Pierce Police Department substation will be closed and offices relocated while cleanup efforts and repairs are conducted.
Local residents provided essential information that led to the swift identification and arrest of the suspects. The juveniles may be facing additional charges in connection with a similar incident that happened on Tuesday, July 21, 2015. In that incident, the suspects vandalize the Garden Terrace Unit of the Boys and Girls Clubs destroying computers and equipment, and taking a television and video games. Both suspects, who live near the William’s Center, have admitted to committing the crimes.
During today’s investigation, officers recovered some of the items stolen during both incidents at the juveniles’ homes.
