Albuquerque, N.M.- It’s only September, but the Halloween-themed pranks have already started.
Last Saturday night, four juvenile boys robbed a preschool pumpkin patch dry. The boys were all from 14-15 years old.
According to police, the juveniles confessed to stealing pumpkins from Eastern New Mexico University’s Child Development Center.
Elaine Gard, the Director of ENMU’s Child Development Center, told WTKR that the center was growing a total of four pumpkins. Two were outside of their fence and two were inside. Therefore, the boys had to jump the fence to get to all of the pumpkins.
Surveillance video released Friday showed one of the boys kicking a pumpkin like a soccer ball down the sidewalk. Another boy simply picked one up and carried it away.
Since the incident, media coverage about the crime has been booming. The center has received close to 200 pumpkins in donations; they’ve even turned some donators away because they were too overwhelmed.
As for the students, well, they’re not really mad about it. They’re more concerned that the culprits didn’t ask permission to take the pumpkins.
The center is using this incident as an opportunity to teach the children about the differences between right and wrong.
-Meghan Kee
