Deputies arrest 3 men accused of breaking into Bloomingdale High School
(Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)
VALRICO, Fla. - Deputies arrested three men who they say were caught breaking into Bloomingdale High school in Valrico.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to the school just before 3 a.m. Tuesday for an intrusion alarm.
While searching the school, deputies noticed a fire extinguisher was missing from one of the classrooms. They soon found broken glass on the door of the main office, and discovered three men inside the room.
The sheriff's office said the suspects, identified as 19-year-old Alexander Ducot, 19-year-old Daniel Myers, and 18-year-old Tyrus Cates, fled the office but were caught by deputies outside the school building.
One of the suspects had a mailroom bag from the school that contained an HP computer worth $1,100, a USB adapter, a screwdriver, about $5 in coins and various paperwork including a check for $518.
Inside the main office, multiple desk drawers were found open and nearly two dozen school keys were scattered across the floor and hallway. The safety pin for a fire extinguisher was also found on the office floor.
Deputies believe the suspects are also responsible for a previous incident at Bloomingdale High on Saturday, Dec. 28. That's when deputies responded to an alarm at the school around 2:30 a.m. and found an open door leading to the cafeteria where a white substance consistent with fire extinguisher discharge was located.
"Stealing property used to educate our children and keep them safe is unacceptable. These men will learn the hard way that breaking into a school is not a prank. It is a crime," said Sheriff Chad Chronister in a statement. "Thankfully deputies were able to catch them in the act, and we return the property they took to the school."
The men all face multiple charges including grand theft, rendering a fire extinguisher inoperative, grand theft of a fire extinguisher, resisting an officer without violence, trespassing and burglary.