Suspect broke into, vandalized and stole property from Goodsell School

SHELLEY — Local police are searching for a suspect they believe burglarized and vandalized a local school.

Sometime in the early hours of Monday, March 28, an individual reportedly broke into Dean Goodsell School. After allegedly breaking a window on the northwest side of the school, the suspect stole multiple items and vandalized school property.

“In reviewing surveillance footage, we have what looks like one male had broke a window, climbed inside the school and was going around vandalizing whatever he could and trying to steal whatever he could,” Shelley Police Chief Rod Mohler told Community Pioneer.

He said they aren’t sure exactly what time the break-in occurred. He explained that there was a call about a noise disturbance at the school around 3 a.m. Monday, but there weren’t any signs of a break-in when officers arrived to investigate.

Mohler said the suspect took several electronics, including laptops, outside the school and dumped them over the fence that separates the school and the parking lot for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on W Maple St.

“We recovered a lot of property that was still out in the grass,” he said.

With all of the property law enforcement recovered, they are working with the school to determine what else may be missing.

“Most of the damage was actually inside. They punched one of the big TVs. They tried to pull down one of the surveillance cameras,” Mohler said. “It was just pure ignorance.”

With the case under investigation, Shelley School District Superintendant Chad Williams declined to comment on the burglary. He said he didn’t want to reveal anything that might hinder the investigation.

“No arrests yet. We have a couple suspects that we’re looking at. As soon as we get a positive ID on them, we’re going to go for a warrant,” Mohler said.

He said the Shelley Police Department is not yet asking for help from the public to identify the suspect.