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The teens, all 17, were located and arrested Tuesday night, then transported and booked into the Butler County Detention Center at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to court documents.
They allegedly broke into a Middletown home Tuesday afternoon in the 2200 block of Tytus Ave., demanded a juvenile open a safe where four firearms were stolen, according to a Middletown police report obtained by The Journal-News. Witnesses told police they heard one suspect tell the teen who lived in the house to open the safe or he’d be shot.
We are not naming the suspects because they are under 18.
Two of the three juveniles expected to appear Wednesday morning in Butler County Juvenile Court had their hearings delayed because their parents failed to appear, according to court documents. Their court dates were pushed back until 8:30 a.m. today.
The third juvenile, accompanied by a parent, appeared Wednesday morning and his pre-trial before Judge Ronald Craft was set for 9 a.m. July 24, according to court documents. He entered no plea Wednesday.
Middletown police are looking for a fourth juvenile allegedly involved in the home invasion, according to Maj. David Birk.
He said police recovered three guns allegedly used in the burglary. No shots were fired inside the Tytus Avenue residence and no one was injured, he said. At least four people were inside the residence at the time of the burglary, according to the report.
Birk said police recovered jewelry and guns allegedly stolen during the home invasion. The guns belonged to the grandfather of the boy who lives on Tytus Avenue, police said.
Two of the juveniles were located Tuesday on Waite Street and one was found on Oxford State Road near Yankee Road, police said.
When police arrived at the residence on Oxford State Road, they saw seven to 10 juveniles inside an attached garage. When police announced their presence, several teens ran away, according to a report. Police interviewed some of those who remained inside the garage and they told police one of the suspects was talking about “hitting a rift,” slang for committing a robbery, the report read.
Anyone with more information about the incident is asked to contact Detective Kristi Hughes at 513-425-7733.
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