3 preteens, 2 teens charged after several firearms stolen from Sumter home

A burglary on Friday led to five underage suspects being detained and charged in connection to the crime.

Sumter County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of a home burglary in the Barkley Road area on Oct. 4. Upon meeting with the homeowner, deputies learned the homeowner was out of the house for a few hours and returned to discover a window was forced open.

After speaking with residents in the area who provided descriptions of the suspects and interviews with potential suspects and witnesses, five individuals – ages 10, 12, 12, 14 and 16 – were charged with first-degree burglary, according to Mark Bordeaux, public information officer for the sheriff’s office.

Several of the firearms were recovered, according to Bordeaux.

The teens and preteens were detained before being released to their parents. They will be petitioned to Family Court, Bordeaux said.

Those with information that may help investigators are asked to call 911 or Sumter County Sheriff’s Office during business hours at (803) 436-2000. Those wishing to share information and remain anonymous, while earning a reward, may use the website p3tips.com or the P3 Tips app for mobile devices.