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– OCP file photo
4 juveniles captured after breaking into old foundry.
By Allison Scarbrough, Editor.
ROTHBURY — Four juvenile boys were apprehended by police Wednesday evening, April 29, after they allegedly broke into the former Barber Steel Foundry on Winston Road, said Oceana County Sheriff Craig Mast.
Three 15-year-old boys and one 13-year-old boy allegedly climbed the fence to gain access to the facility, which permanently closed last fall. They were observed on the roof, and a witness called 911 to report the break-in in progress shortly before 5 p.m.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to the call and observed the suspects running away from them. Deputies found an unlocked service door to the roof and climbed a ladder to the roof to investigate, Mast said.
In order to set up a perimeter for the large facility, backup was called in. “Several state police cars and a K-9 came to assist,” Mast said.
An MSP Hometown Security Team happened to be in the area and swooped in to assist.
The juveniles were then caught inside the premises, where it is believed they were smoking marijuana, the sheriff said.
The youths were “brought to tears” upon getting caught, the sheriff said. They were turned over to their parents, and the case has been turned over to Oceana County Probate Court.
No one was injured, Mast said. However, there was a “huge opportunity to get hurt” at the old foundry.
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