Vandal trashes school
Pilot Point police are searching for an unidentified juvenile boy who burglarized Selz Middle School twice, damaging property and stealing the security footage of the crime.
Denton County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to a successful prosecution.
“Hopefully, someone has seen something,” police Chief Ric Sadler said.
School staff arrived the morning of Friday, June 24, to find damage from the first break-in. Police and school administrators viewed the security footage but left the evidence at the school.
“They couldn’t figure out how to download the video at the moment, so they said they would get it downloaded for us, and then before they were able to get it downloaded, he broke back in — we’re assuming it’s the same person — and this time stole all the cameras, the DVR that records all the footage and the monitor,” Sadler said.
Sadler said the video was not backed up anywhere but the recorder. The video image of the suspect was silhouetted and police couldn’t make a positive identification.
Police reported the video showed a juvenile white male with shaggy hair entered the school between 9 and 9:30 on June 23 through the cafeteria door, which was unlocked. He went into assistant principal Richard Balderas’ office, where he acted “spooked” and returned to the cafeteria.
He then began attempting to gain entry into principal Dustin Toth’s office, first by kicking the door and then using a power drill to try to drill out the lock. He finally smashed the glass out of the vertical window in the office door, reached inside and unlocked it. He was only inside the office for about one minute before leaving through the cafeteria.
The suspect also appeared to take a photo of the office door with a cell phone.
“We feel certain he took that picture in order to post it or to boast about it,” Sadler said.
Assistant Superintendent Charlie Williams called police the next day. The building is undergoing renovations.
Someone - police believe the same person - re-entered the school Saturday night by breaking a window at a door on the north side of the building and caused more extensive damage. The burglar destroyed light fixtures, smashed holes in doors and tore apart desks and filing cabinets. Vulgarities were scrawled on white boards and two fire extinguishers had been discharged.
Police found urine on the principal’s desk and feces in a classroom from which they collected DNA evidence. Footprints from both burglaries match and one fingerprint was successfully lifted from the scene.
Tips can be submitted by calling 1-800-388 TIPS or online at dentoncountycrimestoppers.com
