Minors allegedly responsible for Republic vandalism caught

The Republic Police Department has located the people who are believed to be responsible for throwing a lawnmower into the Republic Aquatic Center pool Sunday, July 14.
According to a posting on the city’s Facebook page, police reviewed video footage of the incident, and after a five-day investigation, were able to track down the four individuals allegedly behind the incident, identified only as three young men and a young woman.
The posting stated the police interviewed the young people and all four face charges of trespassing, while two also face charges of property damage. The posting also stated the four would not be identified because of their ages.
The city’s Public Information Office responded to an e-mailed request for more information by stating that the request had been forwarded to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. No further information had been provided as of press time.
On July 14, city employees arrived at the aquatic center to find a lawnmower had been thrown into the pool. Because gas and oil seeped out of the lawnmower, the pool had to be cleaned, a process which required the pool to be shut down for 24 hours. Between cleanup costs and lost revenue, the incident cost the city an estimated $7,200. It was not immediately clear if the juveniles would be responsible for repaying the city for the costs associated with the vandalism, if convicted of the charges against them.