Suspects in theft arrested

Kalispell teens also accused in vandalism at Flathead High School in January

Two Kalispell teens suspected of doing thousands of dollars of damage to the Flathead High School cafeteria in a late-night vandalism spree in January are in custody for allegedly stealing $1,580 in vehicle parts.

James Kubai and Anton Golovko, both 17, are being held in the Flathead County Juvenile Detention Center on charges of felony theft from Elite Audio.

Kubai and Golovko walked into Elite Audio on West Center Street shortly before 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, Kalispell police patrol Lt. Wade Rademacher said.

Employees recognized them as the youths who had been implicated in conversations with others since the early December theft of four rims and four tires from a vehicle behind the store. Police said the vehicle also was damaged.

Store employees called police Wednesday and detained the two boys until officers arrived.

Theft becomes a felony offense when value of the stolen goods exceeds $1,000.

The two had been free on conditional release pending action on the vandalism charges.

The pair allegedly trashed the Flathead High cafeteria the night of Jan. 22, shooting seven windows with a BB gun, spray-painting graffiti on the cafeteria walls and a weight machine, ripping a phone off the wall, tipping over several vending machines valued at $5,000 each, and stealing the money inside. In the school parking lot, a car windshield was smashed.

Kubai and Golovko were arrested Jan. 24 in connection with the vandalism, and charged with burglary, felony criminal mischief and felony theft.

Golovko also was charged with resisting arrest after a standoff at his home on Great View Drive in the South Meadows area of Kalispell. After refusing to come out of the house for police, Nasset said he took off running when the SWAT team arrived.

Kubai was arrested separately without incident.

At the time, detective Sgt. Scott Warnell said the boys would be tried as adults.

Police Chief Roger Nasset described them as "disgruntled prior students" at Flathead High, but said he did not know why they left school. Flathead administrators released no information about the boys.

Nasset said that if the two are convicted of the theft charges, penalties will depend on whether they are prosecuted as adults or juveniles.