PERU – Two teens are facing charges after allegedly damaging the new artificial turf of a football stadium Saturday morning with what authorities described was a Molotov Cocktail. The Peru Police Department say two 16-year-olds are in custody, one from Peru and one from LaSalle, after an investigation located another probable device Saturday night near L-P High School. According to Peru Police Chief Doug Bernabei, patrol officers and detectives identified persons of interest, conducted a search at an off-site location securing physical evidence as well as conducting numerous interviews.
The pair face charges of criminal damage to state supported property, criminal trespass to property and unlawful use of weapons, and are being held at a juvenile detention center.
Chief Bernabei stated “While the damage to the stadium was limited to a small section of turf nonetheless this was treated as a very serious situation and a high priority for our agency. The destruction of anyone’s property including public property simply cannot be tolerated. What may appear to possibly be misguided juvenile acts does not negate the seriousness of this type of conduct.”
