Six Henderson teens were arrested in connection with at least 23 incidents in which cars were damaged by using a slingshot to shoot marbles or paintballs during the previous two weekends. News 3's Denise Rosch has more details.
HENDERSON, Nev. –– Six Henderson teens were arrested in connection with at least 23 incidents in which cars were damaged by using a slingshot to shoot marbles or paintballs during the previous two weekends.
The teens were arrested just as they were apparently loading up to go out to damage more cars.
Brandon M. Sepe, 18, and Bryce S. Sepe, 18, were booked into the Henderson Detention Center late Friday on numerous misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor counts of throwing substances at a motor vehicle.
Four 17-year-old boys were booked into the Clark County juvenile detention center on the same charges. Two of those boys also were booked on petty larceny charges.
A 16-year-old girl was booked into the juvenile facility on conspiracy to commit petty larceny.
The crew of teenage suspects was apprehended as they were attempting to steal more marbles from the WalMart on Marks Street for another round of vandalism late Friday night.
“We saw a number of incidents over two weekends and knew that there would be another round of victims if we didn’t stop these suspects,” Henderson Police Chief Patrick Moers said. “It was the good work of Henderson Police officers who caught the suspects to hold them accountable for what they have done.”
As part of the investigation, a Henderson Police officer went to the WalMart Friday night to talk with the store’s security to see if there had been people trying to buy marbles lately. Store security told the officer there were a number of teenagers in the aisle right then where the marbles were displayed.
The officer watched as two of the teens put bags of marbles in their jacket pockets. The group then left the store without paying for the marbles. The group was stopped and the stolen marbles were found on two of the teens.
The officer located the car the teens were driving and saw two high-powered slingshots and broken paint balls in the interior of the car.
There were 11 incidents of damage to vehicles by marbles and paintballs reported on Oct. 26 and 27, mostly in the Boulder Highway and Sunset Road area. The next weekend, on Nov. 3, there were 12 similar incidents of vandalism to vehicles, mostly in the Stephanie Street and Warm Springs Road area.
Most of the teens admitted to officers that they would drive around and shoot marbles or throw paintballs out of the window. They called these acts of vandalism “missions.” The damage to the vehicles ranged from about $150 to more than $1,500.
It does not appear that the suspects knew any of the people who owned the cars and that all the victims were chosen at random. The suspects also gave no reason why they would go out and damage vehicles.
There may be other people who were victims in a similar attack but who have not contacted the police. We encourage any other victims to contact the Henderson Police Department.
Anyone with information in this case is urged to call the Henderson Police Department at (702) 267-4750 or, to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555 or visit
www.crimestoppersofnv.com.
