Lopez 15-year-old faces felony burglary charge

Felony burglary charges were filed last week against a Lopez Island boy accused of stealing a digital video-recorder from the Family Resource Center earlier this year.

The 15-year-old, who is slated to be arraigned today in San Juan County Juvenile Court, faces a of second-degree burglary, a Class C felony. He has been released to the custody of his parents pending the arraignment hearing.

According to court documents, the video camera was discovered missing Jan. 10 by a technician at the center, who received a phone call from the boy's mother two weeks later saying that it was in his possession. At the time, the woman reportedly hoped to have the camera, valued at $300, returned with "no questions asked".

The boy, when confronted by authorities, reportedly claimed to have found it at the recycling center on Fisherman Bay Road.

According to prosecutors, the 15-year-old stole the camera in late December after he and a 12-year-old boy, who reportedly broke into the center the day before by using a piece of wood to pick a lock, burglarized the building twice in two days. The 12-year-old, according to court documents, reportedly admitted to stealing $30 cash and a credit card from a coat left there on the first day that he broke into the building.

If convicted, the 15-year-old would face penalties of up to 30 days confinement in a juvenile detention center, 150 hours of community service, a $500 fine and one year probation.

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