Columbia Falls teens arrested for widespread vandalism

Columbia Falls Police have arrested four teenagers in the wake of a vandalism spree over the past month that caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage, Columbia Falls Police Chief Clint Peters said in a press release Friday afternoon.

The department is not releasing the names because they are minors, but identified them as two 15-year-old boys, a 16-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl.

“Over the last month, our city has seen a large number of vehicle trespasses, theft from vehicles, spray-paint vandalism, burglary, and other criminal mischief to property,” Peters said. “Specifically, last Monday, multiple houses, cars, and other private property was spray-painted ... at least a dozen private vehicles were entered and items stolen from inside, and a local Nucleus Avenue business was burglarized.”

Police caught up with the youths following a thorough investigation into the incidents, and “identified four of the juveniles responsible for these crimes and arrested each of them,” Peters said. “The evidence and statements gathered in this investigation lead us to believe that there are no other outstanding suspects, and the four individuals are responsible for the majority of the recent crimes.

“If any of our citizens had their property stolen from their vehicle, or had their property spray-painted or damaged in any way, and you have not previously reported the incident, please contact the Columbia Falls Police Department so we can further our investigation and add your name to the long list of victims,” Peters said.

Call the police at (406) 892-3234 and speak to any of the on-duty officers to report these crimes.

“We would like to thank everyone within the community of Columbia Falls who provided assistance with this investigation to include surveillance photos and videos, statements, and for promptly reporting the crimes so we can get a quick start to our investigations,” Peters added. “We strive to prevent these crimes with proactive patrols, but when they do occur, we also are dedicated to holding those individuals responsible for their actions.”