3 charged in Presque Isle break-ins, thefts

PRESQUE ISLE – Two adults and a juvenile were charged Friday in connection with a recent series of burglaries and thefts at several city schools.

Bryan Rasche, 18, Matthew Wright, 20, and an unidentified juvenile have been charged with burglary, theft and criminal mischief. The two adults are scheduled to appear in Presque Isle District Court on May 21. The juvenile will make his appearance on June 3.

Detective Wayne Selfridge of the Presque Isle Police Department said that starting March 17,three schools were broken into a total of seven times. SAD 1 property valued at $2,200 was stolen; damage was estimated at $800 to $1,000.

All of the stolen property was recovered from the homes of the three individuals, along with $325, Selfridge said.

The first burglary occurred at the middle school on Skyway Street. There was extensive damage to the interior. A computer, digital camera and $500 in cash were taken from the principal’s office.

On March 26, a burglary was reported at Presque Isle High School. Door locks were damaged and several offices were broken into. Damage, which included offices and classroom doors, totaled several hundred dollars. About $200 in cash was taken.

Since mid- to late March, Presque Isle High School and the Skyway Middle School were burglarized twice, and the Pine Street School three times.

Miscellaneous items such as keys, cameras, computers and walkie-talkie radios were taken. Keys were used to steal money from vending machines.

In a press release Saturday, Selfridge said administrators reviewed their schools’ surveillance videos and that information was critical in investigating the chain of burglaries.

Presque Isle police Officers Selfridge, Mark Barnes, William Scull and Jeffrey Mechalko, and Sgt. Joey Seeley were involved in the initial and follow-up investigations.