No charges for 5 teenagers found on top of Saline school
Charges won’t be sought against five Ann Arbor teenagers who were found by Saline police on the roof of Houghton School late Saturday night, according to a police report.
Houghton School
Police were dispatched at 9:09 p.m. and found four 16-year-old boys and a 15-year-old boy in the school, at 555 Mills Road, according to the report. Officers were dispatched after a caller reported seeing people on the school’s roof.
According to the report, police arrived at the building and didn’t see anyone on the roof. One investigator approached a door on the east side of the building near the southeast corner and saw two lights in the building. However, the lights quickly moved out of sight.
The investigator notified another police officer on the opposite side of the building of the lights and the officer said he could see the teens on the roof of the building.
The teenagers were told to get off the building and they made their way down a wall near the main entrance to the building. They identified themselves to police and were taken to the Saline Police Department for questioning.
More investigation revealed the boys did not cause any damage to the school and nothing was reported stolen. Police decided to close the case without prosecution, according to the report.
Houghton has been closed since 2010 and used to be an elementary school.
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
JRW
Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 6:26 p.m.
Reckless endangerment. Should have been arrested. How will they learn that there are consequences to criminal acts?
ThinkingOne
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 5:30 p.m.
I was thinking it strange that Ann Arbor teens would travel to Saline just to find a rooftop to climb. Then I remembered how many houses in the Saline school district have an Ann Arbor address and it seems less strange.
Judy
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 12:57 p.m.
It seems to me 5 Ann Arbor teenagers on a Saline school roof were not there to look for frisbees or footballs.
Jim Osborn
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 1:20 p.m.
You were never a bored teenage boy, doing something on a dare; 'cause you could. But if they went inside...
Jim Osborn
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 11:43 a.m.
When I was 6, I was with my younger brother and an older boy, 7, and we were on a hillside throwing rocks towards a distant swimming pool. One thrown by the older boy went too far into a window, the police were called and we were given a free ride home to our suprised mothers. It was not pleasant when my father came home that night. In addition, my allownace was cut in half, from 10 cents a week to 5 cents a week for 6 months to pay for my share, even though I didn't throw the rock. I didn't have the range yet. Today, In Ann Arbor, we would have been taken to the station and a bunch of paperwork filled out, juvi court, a social worker, ... I don't know how the cop kept from laughing at us.
OLDTIMER3
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 11:07 a.m.
If I am not mistaken that building isn't used as a school anymore.
Elouise
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 9:53 p.m.
Saline closed down perfectly good school buildings and built new ones unnecessarily.
bobslowson
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 2:30 p.m.
Correct, it's been closed a few years I believe
Fat Bill
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 10:40 a.m.
This is a fine example of why we have people instead of robots making decisions like this. Zero-Tolerance policies (of any sort) remove opportunities for street level justice and result in too many people being introduced into the system.
chapmaja
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 4:53 a.m.
Good to know they didn't file charges. I know I was growing up I made it onto at least two school rooftops, and my house rooftop as well. I never was caught on the school, but mom had my hide when I was on the second story house rooftop. Using the brace that connects the electric wires to the house wasn't the brightest idea as a stepping stone either. No harm and many years later I'm still alive to tell the story. Now if that tingling in my leg would just go away.
a2citizen
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:18 a.m.
Check with chris matthews for a cure - he has a tingling sensation in his leg, too.
hmsp
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 3:18 a.m.
I got caught on the roof of Eberwhite once –– the janitor called the police. We got the safety lecture from the cops, and then they let us go, as they should have. But I never got caught for climbing up and spinning the hands on the PiHi clock tower, a daily noon-hour task in my senior year. Wouldn't dare to do any of that stuff growing up in this day and age, though! No Sensayuma out there, as a rule. But it's great to hear that the Saline folks had a calmer perspective than most in this case. It's strange, but this is not the first time that Saline has shown itself to be a calmer and more relaxed place than Ann Arbor. They have a site where they laugh at us about our endless Dog Park debates –– they ended up with a Dog Park after they simply left a fenced enclosure up after an outdoor festival, and they contrast that to the endless meetings that Ann Arbor needs to accomplish something similar. It's strange that we can look to Saline, of all places, to get a nostalgic look at a less wound-tight world.
Stan Hyne
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 12:39 p.m.
Living quite close to Eberwhite school I have seen young people on the roof on numerous occasions. No harm, no foul.
a2citizen
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 6:17 a.m.
Nowadays, if you got caught spinning the clock you would probably have to do some serious time.
Angry Moderate
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 2:54 a.m.
Are the students white? If so, the school board should pass a resolution condemning the police and the prosecutor.
Tano
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 2:36 a.m.
Good to see that the fad of criminalizing childhood hasn't made it to Saline yet.
Homeland Conspiracy
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 3:15 a.m.
Yet
Elouise
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 2:08 a.m.
This is how it all starts...
sans
Sun, Jun 2, 2013 : 2:36 a.m.
that's ridiculous
tom swift jr.
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 1:42 a.m.
" saw two lights in the building. " This is a Breaking and Entering, right? These kids just learned a valuable lesson, they can do what they want and the responsible adults will turn their heads and pretend it didn't happen. Wanna know what's wrong with some kids now-days? Here ya go!
Paul
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 12:51 a.m.
Yea, I believe I was on the roof at at least once of every school I went to. All where flat roofs and you just went up there to look around and usually find a Frisbee or football. Once I got "busted" by the school's janitor.."oh, so your the one who keeps knocking that light on the wall loose" As I pulled myself up using the light fixture as a stepping post. He was so cool about it, said I could get hurt or in a lot of trouble going up there and just went back inside..of course I left and never went back on that roof. Harmless fun that could turn ugly..same with just going for a bike ride down the street.
JRW
Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 6:28 p.m.
Climbing on the roof of a school building is not "harmless fun." It's criminal activity.
Hugh Giariola
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 10:52 a.m.
Me too. Consequently, we would lose a ball on the roof and go up there to retrieve it. The bonus was finding all of those other balls and frisbees! That was a big deal when I was 11.