Four Albertville teenagers have been charged with criminal mischief and theft in connection with a spree of vandalism that occurred in July, involving damage to street signs, mailboxes and political campaign signs.
The Albertville Police Department announced the arrest on Tuesday afternoon but did not release the names of the suspects, all of whom confessed to the crime.
Two of the suspects, who were 18 years old, were granted youthful offender status by the court, according to APD, and were released on a $1,000 bond. The other two suspects were referred to the Juvenile Court System.
Several of the vandalism victims chose not to press charges after the suspects and their families agreed to pay back the damages. Police said they found no evidence of a political motivation.
“The incidents appear to have resulted from poor decision-making by a group of teenagers,” the department stated. “The Albertville Police Department remains committed to protecting the property and safety of all residents and appreciates the cooperation of the community throughout this investigation.”
Justin Ennis, a candidate for Albertville mayor, was one of the victims, and he even captured the suspects on camera. He has maintained that the crimes were politically driven and said the police should make the names of the suspects public.
“It was 100 percent politically motivated,” he told 1819 News. “They should release the names of the 18-year-olds. And they identified the truck and got confessions around July 30th or 31st. They waited it out purposely.”
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