Pyreaux Posted 2 hours ago Posted 2 hours ago Idaho, Pocatello Stake Center Vandalized https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/crimes_court/police-young-children-extensively-vandalize-pocatello-lds-stake-building/article_46dd379d-86e1-4e38-ac85-8e0d0c9c1693.html According to Police, Friday, August 14, 2026, at the Pocatello Stake Center on Bartz Way, located adjacent to Idaho State University’s Stephens Performing Arts Center. Sometime between 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM, three neighborhood children, two girls and one boy, ranging in age from 8 to 10, entered through an unlocked door and caused several thousand dollars in property damage. A case that may have begun as opportunistic trespass but escalated into very methodical destruction. What Went Down They found an unlocked exterior door and entered the unattended building. Once inside, the children spent many hours moving through the facility. Rather than a quick hit-and-run, the physical evidence pointed to sustained activity. The children deliberately stuffed materials into multiple toilets to clog them and left the water running to flood restrooms and spill into adjacent hallways. They located paint cans inside the building, tipped them over, and poured or smeared paint across carpeted areas. Beyond simply tipping items over, the children systematically broke numerous glass objects, decor, and internal fixtures, leaving shattered glass and debris scattered across rooms. The Cost A church member discovered the disarray Friday evening and called local law enforcement. Pocatello police officers who responded noted that the interior was in severe disarray, stating that while the damage easily topped the $1,000 threshold, the full restoration cost would be significantly higher once carpet cleaning and drywall/water remediation were evaluated. How They Were Caught The investigation proved short-lived due to physical evidence left at the scene. Officers arriving at the stake center noticed footprints leading away from the spilled paint and liquid inside the building. Patrol officers literally tracked the wet footprints out of the building and down the street directly to nearby homes in the immediate neighborhood. All three children (ages 8, 9, and 10) were identified later that evening. Because of their age, police released them directly into the custody of their parents, who officers noted were fully cooperative with the investigation. Each child was formally cited with misdemeanor malicious injury to property. Their identities remain protected under juvenile privacy laws. Not Targeted? While breaking glass and clogging drains can look targeted at first glance, investigators concluded it was an extreme case of unsupervised escalation, three young kids finding an empty, unlocked building, upon realizing they were unmonitored, and then progressively testing how much damage they could cause until they were finished. 1
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