By MATT THACKER
A 15-year-old admitted in court on Friday to burglarizing four houses in Galena and committing arson, according to court officials.
Floyd County police arrested the juvenile, who was 14 at the time, in February after 11 burglaries were reported within a half-mile radius, Detective Capt. Jeff Topping said.
Police say a homeowner called 911 shortly after 5 a.m. on Feb. 12 after seeing someone in his house. Officers set up a perimeter around the area and spotted the teenager walking out of the woods.
He was charged with arson because he used a lighter to try to burn the weather-stripping from around a door when he could not open it, Topping said. The door caught on fire.
Topping said that at another house the boy lost his shoe after jumping off a deck. He then reportedly broke into another house to steal a shoe to replace the one he lost.
The burglaries were reported at houses along Edwardsville-Galena Road, Summerfield Way, Galen Court and Quailwood Drive.
The teenager also has similar charges in Harrison County.
Topping said they had evidence linking him to four of the 11 burglaries. He said four victims were prepared to testify at any hearing, but the teenager instead opted to enter a blind plea to all charges.
He will be sent to a boys’ school for an indeterminate amount of time, a court clerk said. Officials at the boys’ school will decide when he will be released.
