Elgin teens charged in high school vandalism

Felony warrants have been issued for two recent Burlington Central High School graduates accused of vandalizing their alma mater, police said Monday.

Elgin residents Christopher S. Strong, 18, of 43W905 Plato Road, and Tyler W. Maddox, 18, of 42W991 Plato Road, were each charged with burglary, criminal damage to state-supported property over $10,000 but under $100,000, and four counts of criminal damage to property.

If convicted on any one of the charges, the graduates face more than a year in prison, said Lt. Pat Gengler, a spokesman with the Kane County sheriff's department.

The teens remain at large, Gengler said.

"We had anticipated that they were going to turn themselves in sometime over the weekend and it did not happen," he said.

The charges come on the heels of an investigation led by the sheriff's department that examined more than $25,000 worth of criminal damage done March 20 to the high school's property.

Several large school windows, several school buses and windows on four private vehicles were all damaged.

Central Unit District 301 had been offering a $1,000 reward for clues about the incident. The reward, Superintendent Brad Hawk said, was "distributed to a number of different sources."

Hawk said he was aware last week the teens would be charged and the district did not let the pair participate in the school's graduation ceremony Friday.

No other disciplinary action is forthcoming from the district's end, Hawk said.

"They've been charged as adults," Hawk said. "The school district has faith in the criminal justice system."