HAMPTON, Va. — Just two days before the start of the new school year, Hampton police officers said they caught four young girls causing trouble inside Christopher C. Kraft Elementary School on Concord Drive.
The suspects reportedly used a stick to break into the window of a door and get into the school.
According to HPD, the suspects vandalized several classrooms and stole items from them.
Police found the suspects nearby shortly after the incident.
The suspects are as followed:
- A 7-year-old girl from Gloucester
- A 10-year-old girl from Hampton
- A 10-year-old girl from Chesapeake
- A 12-year-old girl from Chesapeake
"What in the world are these kids doing?" one neighbor asked. "On a Saturday, a holiday weekend, and they're out here vandalizing."
The neighbor said she saw the girls outside of the school Saturday. She said her son tried calling after them to stop them from entering the school.
"One of them looked over and saw these children banging on the window and throwing sticks and my son hollered at them. When he did, they ran...and we thought they had left the neighborhood," she said.
Another neighbor said she walked out of her home the same day to find her front door and car vandalized. She said she quickly learned who did it when she saw this video on her doorbell camera of girls throwing eggs and dumping dirt on her car.
However, Hampton police could not confirm if these are the same girls caught vandalizing the school.
Hampton police said they caught the four girls shortly after the incident at the elementary school and they now face pending charges, including burglary.
The neighbor whose home got vandalized said one of the girls and her family came back to clean up the mess. She said she hopes the girls learn the lesson not to cause damage to other homes or property.
A spokeswoman for Hampton City Schools forwarded the email the principal sent out to parents of students at the elementary school, saying:
"In the interest of preventing the possible spread of misinformation, I feel it is important that I share factual information with you regarding a situation that occurred at our school over the weekend.
On the afternoon of Saturday, September 3, four female juveniles forced entry into Kraft and vandalized several classrooms. Our staff and the Hampton Police Division took immediate action and quickly addressed the matter. The four juveniles were quickly identified and located by HPD.
Our Maintenance and Operation staff as well as ABM custodial staff worked throughout the weekend to clean up the classrooms. Additionally, school staff arrived early this morning to assist in addressing any other facility needs.
Safety is always our top priority at Kraft and with your continued support, we are working together to provide a safe learning environment for all."
The department said the investigation is ongoing and charges are pending. Anyone with information is asked to call the Hampton Police Division at 757–727–6111 or the Crime Line at 1–888-LOCK-U-UP.