Young vandals 'torment' city

A group of teenagers characterized by a Shelbyville police detective as "tormenting the city" is suspected in an attack on a Shelbyville church last week.

"We suspect it's these juveniles that have been tormenting the city for the past month or so," Detective Sgt. Brian Crews said of a burglary and vandalism at Lighthouse Independent Church of God, Greenwood Avenue. It's the latest in a series of burglaries and vandalism to churches and businesses in central and eastern Shelbyville.

A cordless microphone receiver, set of drum sticks and a "rest room" sign were stolen from Lighthouse, Officer Jeff Goodrich's report said. The burglary was discovered Saturday by a church member, police said.

Two fire extinguishers were deployed in the basement, damaging the floor, and the kitchen was ransacked between 7:15 p.m. Feb. 7 and 10:13 a.m. Saturday, Goodrich said.

The church is within sight of an Alton Avenue day care center that was severely, and similarly, damaged in late January. First Christian Church, the old Harris Middle School and Central Memorial Gym, also located in the same general area, have been burglarized and vandalized since New Year's weekend.

A bus at Gateway Church, on Madison Street in eastern Shelbyville, has also been a target.

Many, if not most, of the business buildings between Deery Street, North Main Street and Greenwood Avenue have had "CG", "PJ", "Crazy STA" and six-pointed stars sprayed on them within the past few weeks, with multiple incidents being reported over the weekend, according to police reports. A car at a East Lane Street residence was also listed as having been painted.

Several drive-through intercoms at fast food restaurants have also been damaged or destroyed, police said.

The "gang tagging" is suspected to be the work of the same four youths, Crews said. "They're not a legitimate gang per se, not like the Bloods or Crips, but there's more than two of them and what they do qualifies them as a gang."

The teens were arrested shortly after 2 a.m. Monday when a resident of a Thompson Street apartment complex reported "four suspicious subjects" in the parking lot. All were charged with curfew violations and two were placed in juvenile detention, police said.

Three of the same boys surrendered to police in early January after a parent found unfamiliar items inside a building behind his Deery Street home and began asking questions, officers said. Baseballs, bats, a handheld public address system and walkie-talkies stolen from First Christian Church were among items recovered by police.

The parents ordered their children to admit their actions at that time; the boys did so and were charged with burglary, Officer Bruce Davis said.