The Somerset County Sheriff’s Office announced on Thursday that they have charged multiple juveniles between ages 9 to 16 from the Bingham area in connection to several recent burglaries in the town.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the charges stem from the juveniles breaking into vacant properties in Bingham and causing extensive damage within the structures.
A total of six juveniles were charged, with counts including burglary and aggravated criminal mischief.
The Somerset Sheriff’s Office described two such incidents, the first of which occurred on April 24 at what used to be the Somerset Rehabilitation and Living Center on Owens Street in Bingham.
Deputies who responded to the building for a reported burglary found that the vacant facility had been broken into, with extensive damage done to inside walls and windows. The cost to clean the property, not including repairs, was estimated at over $85,000.
The second incident occurred on June 26, when deputies responded to the former Thompson’s Restaurant on Main Street in Bingham for a reported burglary.
On the scene, deputies found that similar damage to the Somerset Rehabilitation and Living Center had been done at the vacant restaurant. The cost to repair the damage to the site is still being assessed, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming as the investigation progresses, the Sheriff’s Office said.
