PAINESVILLE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Three children are facing potential charges for dropping rocks from an overpass on more than a dozen vehicles earlier this month.
According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a railroad overpass on State Route 44 in Painesville Township on Sept. 3 after four vehicles were damaged. When deputies arrived, they were unable to locate anyone.
Two days later, deputies were dispatched to the same location for a similar call. When deputies arrived, they found two boys, ages 9 and 10, authorities said.
The 9-year-old boy admitted to deputies that he and the 10-year-old dropped rocks on vehicles traveling under the overpass. The 10-year-old boy denied the accusation and told deputies he had been on his phone the entire time. The boys also said another child was with them when the rocks were dropped.
Deputies contacted the Painesville City Resource Officer and later identified a 12-year-old boy as an additional suspect. The 12-year-old told police that the 10-year-old orchestrated the incidents.
A total of 16 vehicles were damaged by rocks over a span of several days, the sheriff's office stated.
The sheriff’s office stated that the case was handed over to the Lake County Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office to determine charges against the three children.
