A home in Graham, Washington, is in need of major repairs after a group of teenagers broke in on Saturday night and threw a party inside. What began as an unauthorized gathering ended with the entire house left damaged, and now the property owners are facing a costly cleanup that they never saw coming.
Pierce County deputies were called out to the house after the party was underway. When they arrived, they found 23 kids inside who had vandalized the entire home in the course of their party, turning the residence into a scene of widespread destruction across the property.
The scale of the damage was significant. According to authorities, the destruction left behind by the party is estimated to be worth more than $50,000, a figure that reflects just how thoroughly the home was torn up during the night the teenagers spent inside it.
All 23 of the juveniles found at the house were detained by deputies. Charges of felony burglary and malicious mischief will now be sent to prosecutors for review and possible charges, meaning the group could face serious legal consequences over what happened at the home.
Investigators acknowledged the difficulty of pinning down individual responsibility. Deputies said they were not able to determine who actually spray painted the home or who specifically caused the destruction, a challenge that complicates the case even as the group faces potential charges.
Every juvenile was released to a guardian that night, and no arrests were made at the scene. Officials stressed, however, that this does not mean the juveniles are off the hook, with the matter now in the hands of prosecutors who will decide how to proceed.
The timing has made the situation even more painful for the owners. The sale of the house was nearly complete and had been about to close within the next two weeks, but now, in the wake of the break-in and party, the owners will need to make costly repairs before moving forward.