MADISON, Wis. — Police in Madison have arrested two kids, ages 12 and 13, following a string of four gas station burglaries in the city earlier this month.
During the overnight hours of Sept. 6 and into Sept. 7, four gas stations were burglarized. Police have since identified the 12-year-old and 13-year-old as suspects.
Both are being processed in the juvenile court system; their names have not been released.
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Scott Reitmeier, the detective sergeant of the Madison Police Department’s Burglary Crime Unit, said the repetitive nature of the crimes not only tipped them off but are rare for such young offenders.
As a whole, he added, youth crime has been up all summer, particularly when it comes to vehicle thefts.
“They’re juveniles but they’re young juveniles,” he said. “In the state of Wisconsin, you have to be 12 to even be considered that you could commit a crime.”
Police said the duo used rocks to intrude but took very little cash. Most of the losses were due to property damage and merchandise theft. The offenders spent less than one minute in each store.
MPD used surveillance video to confirm the burglars’ identities.
“The detective that has this case got a lot of help from one of the victims, who really scoured a lot of video and was able to find video of the suspects earlier that day in the business without being covered up to the degree they were when they committed the crime,” Reitmeier said.
- Citgo at 2301 Commercial Avenue
- BP at 4222 E. Washington Avenue
- BP at 4325 Mohawk Drive
- CP Mart at 4905 Commercial Avenue
Police say the suspects’ parents were instrumental in solving the case, and that as with any juvenile, rehabilitation, not punitive actions, will in the offenders’ future in the Juvenile Court System.
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