Lake Helen, FL – A 14-year-old boy is facing charges after admitting to deputies that he damaged a relative’s motorboat while another teenager intentionally set it on fire.
The 14-year-old faces burglary and criminal mischief charges after the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office was called to his home on Hogsback Road in Lake Helen Monday night.
The other boy – a 13-year-old who also lives in Lake Helen – is charged with burglary and arson, according to the VCSO incident report.
WNDB News isn’t identifying either boy due to their ages, but both are students at DeLand High School, per the report.
Deputies responded to the home around 6:30pm Monday after the owner of the 28-foot boat – a 43-year-old man identified in the report as the 14-year-old’s brother – called to report the vandalism.
Per the report, the 2 boys entered the boat – which is stored on the Hogsback Road property – around 2pm Sunday along with another 14-year-old boy. That’s when deputies think the boys ripped open a part of the ceiling carpet and set another part of the carpeted roof on fire with a lighter.
The report also notes that the boys broke off a ladder attached to the boat and damaged a hatch and a window screen, causing over $800 in total damage.
The other 14-year-old boy admitted that he was there when the other boys damaged the boat, but he wasn’t charged because he didn’t take part, according to the report.
When questioned, both boys admitted to entering the boat without permission in order to “chill” and to doing all of the damage, with the 13-year-old telling deputies he set the roof on fire because he was “bored”, per the report.
The 14-year-old’s hands had cuts and swelling around the knuckles consistent with repeatedly punching blunt objects, according to VCSO.
The 13-year-old was taken into custody by the Department of Juvenile Justice while the 14-year-old was released to his parents and given a notice to appear in court.
Copyright 2015 Southern Stone Communications.