Two 14-year-olds booked with burglary of a St. Bernard recreation department concession stand and felony criminal damage for causing $5,000 damage; Stolen candy worth hundreds of dollars recovered

Two 14-year-old boys from Violet have been arrested and booked with burglarizing a St. Bernard Parish government recreation department concession stand early Aug. 25 and with causing $5,000 damage to the stand, Sheriff James Pohlmann said. Several hundred dollars worth of stolen candy was recovered in the arrests.

The boys, who each admitted their involvement under questioning by sheriff’s detectives with a parent present, were found after authorities were tipped they had been selling candy at school, the sheriff said.

Their names haven’t been released because they are minors.

Extensive damage was done inside the concession stand after the two got inside, authorities said, including destroying equipment. Damage was estimated at $5,000.

Both teen-agers were arrested Thursday evening, Aug. 29, and were placed in the parish Juvenile Detention Center. A judge set $10,000 bonds for both and they are being held in lieu of making bond. They were both booked with burglary and criminal damage to property, with both counts felonies.

The burglary happened early Sunday morning, Aug. 25, at the concession stand for ball fields run by the parish recreation center in the 2500 block of Archbishop Hannan Boulevard in Meraux. It was discovered by parish government employees on Monday morning, Aug. 26.

A large amount of candy was stolen and the teen-agers involved took the items to their homes by bicycles after the burglary, authorities said. Some of the stolen candy was recovered at one boy’s home and the other boy’s father brought stolen candy to authorities after finding it in his son’s room, the sheriff said.