Teen jailed for causing $40,000 damage to LDS ward building

WASILLA — A teenager was arrested Sunday, charged with three early morning break-ins over the course of a week at a church building in the Knik-Goose Bay road area.

According to a trooper press statement, the first report came in at 8:27 a.m., Nov. 2 of a possible fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ward building on Horizon Drive.

“It was determined that there was not a fire,” according to trooper reports. But — “an unknown person broke into the church and vandalized the building, causing several thousand dollars in damage.”

Three days later, at 7 a.m., Nov. 5, troopers got a call about vandalism in the building. Six days later, on Sunday, at 6 a.m., they were called to investigate a third burglary/vandalism.

In e-mail, trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters said that a fire extinguisher was set off in the building, multiple computers destroyed, and door handles were smashed off of doors. She said nothing much was stolen; just some candy and cans of whip cream.

“Multiple computers throughout the building were destroyed, door handles knocked off many of the doors damaging the door and handle in the process, bathroom mirrors destroyed, electronic components for the building systems destroyed, pictures destroyed, damage to the pulpit, damage (to the church’s organ),” Peters wrote. “The clean up alone for the fire extinguisher mess cost $14,000 because of the powder getting into the ventilation system. That needed to be done twice.”

Three hours after getting the call about the third incident, troopers were at home on Knik-Goose Bay Road arresting a 15-year-old boy. He was charged with three counts each of burglary and criminal mischief.

“Damage to the church for all three incidents was estimated at $40,000,” troopers report.

Peters said that the boy used a hammer he brought with him to smash off the same door handle to enter the church each time. She said troopers believe the boy acted alone each time.

The 15-year-old was jailed at the Mat-Su Youth Facility without bail and was not named in trooper reports, as per department policy in incidents involving juveniles.