Michael Blake Delaney
An 18-year-old and three juveniles have been charged with a break-in at Wallace A. Smith Elementary School and numerous nearby car burglaries at the Hamilton-on-Hunter subdivision.
Police said Michael Blake Delaney, of Gwinett Court in Ooltewah, was also provided alcohol to the minors.
Delaney is charged with 17 burglary counts, 11 counts of theft of property and three of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
One of the juveniles is 17, another 16 and another 15.
Police were notified last Monday on the school break-in and the numerous car break-ins in the neighborhood near the school. A cell phone belonging to the 17-year-old was found in a car that had been entered on Sandy Cove Drive.
Detective James Gienapp said he learned that the 17-year-old is an associate of Delaney, who lives in the neighborhood where the burglaries occurred.
At the Delaney residence, Det. Gienapp said he spotted a box with numerous shotgun shells. Inside a parked Toyota Matrix was a detachable radio face and GPS mount.
Police interviewed Delaney and the 17-year-old, and they admitted their involvement in the burglaries and also identified the other two juveniles who took part.
They said some computers were taken from the elementary school.
The teens said a Volkswagen Jetta was stolen from Sandy Cove Drive and driven throughout the night. There were also two trucks taken during the crime spree. They were driven through the neighborhood and used for "bumper cars" as they sped and drove recklessly.
Delaney admitted taking part in a separate burglary of Wallace A. Smith Elementary on Sept. 2.
Three county school computers were found outside the Delaney residence.
The burglaries were at:
6844 Axiom Dr.
6137 Blue Ash Dr.
10055 Baker Boy Dr.
7425 Davis Mill Road
7450 and 7458 Davis Mill Circle
10262, 10115, 10005 and 10262 Fielding Road
6930 Sandy Cove Dr.
Police said Delaney "was the ring leader of the crime spree" and the youths came and went from his home.