Two boys from Florida are confronting serious allegations after their mothers reported them for supposedly inflicting over $50,000 in damages to their school library.
On September 13, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office announced that two boys, aged 12 and 13, unlawfully entered Friendship Elementary School in Deltona, Florida. Deputies indicated that the duo initially accessed the campus during daylight hours before sneaking back later that evening.
Once inside, the young boys reportedly embarked on a destructive spree—throwing books across the library floor, overturning furniture, and defacing doors with graffiti. Investigators noted that the situation intensified when the boys allegedly returned to admire their destruction, resulting in further damage and triggering the fire alarm. Deputies who responded to the alarm discovered the media center of the library completely vandalized and in disarray.
“During the night, deputies responded to a fire alarm at Friendship Elementary School in Deltona. Upon arrival, they observed that a glass door had been broken and the media center had been subjected to vandalism,” the police stated on social media, accompanied by body camera footage from one of the responding officers.
Photographs released by the Volusia Sheriff’s Office illustrated the extensive damage, with books strewn across the floor, furniture destroyed, and property devastated.
Investigators also disclosed surveillance footage depicting the two suspects entering the library. In the footage, one boy is seen wearing a Monster Energy cap, while both attempted to hide their identities by covering their faces.
After the images were posted online, tips quickly poured in – but it was the boys’ own mothers who provided the crucial leads, recognizing their children and making the difficult decision to alert authorities.
“Their moms turned them in,” Volusia Sheriff’s Office announced in a Sept. 15 Facebook post that included mugshots of 12-year-old Felix Cohen Romero and 13-year-old Bentley Ryan Wehrly.
“After the video posted, we received lots of emails identifying them (thank you all!), as well as contacts from each of the defendants’ mothers. The boys confessed to the incident, which caused at least $50,000 in damage to the media center. They broke into the school during the daytime hours, then returned later in the evening to look at the damage and cause more.”
Each boy is currently confronted with a series of criminal charges, which include two counts of burglary, two counts of trespassing on school property, criminal mischief, and theft.
Authorities have yet to determine how the case will advance through the juvenile justice system; however, the severity of the damage suggests that both individuals may face considerable legal repercussions.
This alarming case has generated extensive reactions online, especially since the boys’ own mothers took the initiative to hold them accountable. Many individuals have commended the mothers for making what must have been an exceptionally challenging decision.
“Excellent work, mothers!!! I can only imagine how difficult that was, but it was the right choice. Teaching them about consequences is one of the toughest aspects of parenting,” one commenter expressed on the Facebook post.
Another remarked, “Thank you, mothers, for recognizing that your child needs to understand that the world does not revolve around them and that there are repercussions for their actions! I can only imagine it was likely difficult…”
A third individual commented, “They are so young to be acquiring a record,” while another added, “Kudos to the mothers for reporting them!”
Others proposed that the pre-teens ought to be mandated to rectify the damage they caused as part of their punishment.
“Assign them the library repair duties daily, from returning books to the shelves to cleaning every nook and cranny,” suggested one netizen.
“They should be required to clean it up during school hours so that everyone can witness it,” another individual proposed.
For the boys, the act of vandalism has resulted in not only criminal charges but also public scrutiny. The decision made by their mothers to come forward has been recognized as an instance of strict yet essential parenting – a reminder that accountability begins at home.
Would you report your child to the authorities if you were aware they had engaged in actions similar to those of these two boys? We invite you to share your opinions with us and subsequently disseminate this story to foster the discussion!
