MARYSVILLE — When police rounded up the suspects, one was particularly small.
The silent alarm went off around 2:15 a.m. Monday, alerting police to a break-in at Marysville Pilchuck High School.
A sergeant saw three flashlights moving toward him. He detained the trio — two 18-year-olds and one 15 — at gunpoint.
That’s when another officer spotted the fourth suspect. He turned out to be a 9-year-old boy.
It’s not unusual to find teens out past 11 p.m., “but this just doesn’t happen, not at 2 in the morning and nine years old,” said Marysville police Cmdr. Robb Lamoureux.
The 18-year-old suspects — one from Puyallup, the other from Tulalip — were booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of burglary. The 15-year-old Marysville boy was taken to the Denney Juvenile Justice Center in Everett. The 9-year-old was turned over to his mother, Lamoureux said.
The suspects are accused of breaking into the student store to steal candy, chips, drinks, Marysville Pilchuck clothing and school supplies. One of the suspects reportedly had a digital camera belonging to school in his pocket. The food and goods were worth nearly $400.
Police believe the burglars broke a hole in a window just big enough to stick a finger through to unlock a latch.
One of the older suspects allegedly told police the group broke into the school to steal food because they were hungry.
The 15-year-old allegedly told police that he and his brother, 9, were walking around when the older suspects decided to break into the school. He said he and his younger brother acted as lookouts. The 15-year-old said he later joined the other two inside the building.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.
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