3 children arrested in South End burglary
Nintendo Wii was targeted
Authorities say they plan to teach three Boston children a lesson about finding productive summer recreation after they were allegedly caught stealing a
A Chandler Street resident found a 12-year-old girl holding the game console when he got home about 4 p.m. Saturday, police spokeswoman Sharon Dottin said. While the resident was holding the girl, he heard two other intruders running from the kitchen, out a window, and down a rear fire escape, police said. Police say two boys, ages 12 and 15, had fled.
Officers apprehended one boy in an alley between Chandler and Lawrence streets. Shortly after 6 p.m., the second boy was picked up on Tremont Street.
Police recovered an iPod docking station and cellphone near the fire escape.
The late-summer escapade earned the three some serious charges: breaking and entering and larceny.
"It's just disappointing," Dottin said. "There are so many more things for them to do."
She said city officials have created youth programs to keep youngsters from getting themselves into just this kind of trouble over the summer.
The Boston ROCKS initiative, or Recreational Opportunities for City Kids, points children to age-appropriate day camps, sports lessons, reading programs, and acting classes to keep them occupied.
"Those are the things that they should be focusing their attention on," Dottin said.
The popular Wii interactive video game system the youngsters allegedly were after features a wireless motion-sensor remote that translates player movements into action on the screen. While they sell for $249 in stores, the in- demand systems can fetch far more on Internet auction sites.
Both 12-year-olds are now in the custody of the parents. The 15-year-old was being held in a Dorchester juvenile detention facility, police said.
Police did not release the identities of the children and their parents nor of the alleged victim. Police would not say whether the three were related.
"The significance of their ages is not lost on the officers," Dottin said. "This is unfortunate, but by holding them responsible for their actions, this will be a lesson they learn."
Jake Wark, a spokesman for the Suffolk district attorney's office, said the children would probably be arraigned in Boston Juvenile Court tomorrow morning. The punishments they could face range from community service to detention in a juvenile facility until they turn 18. The punishment varies based on a child's family situation, school attendance, and criminal record, he said.
"We try to reach a resolution that's appropriate to the fact pattern, the defendant's age, and the defendant's record," Wark said.
