Two teenagers have been arrested for allegedly damaging the football field at Mill Creek High School by driving a stolen pickup truck onto it. Authorities reported the incident on Thursday, stating that a 16-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy are the primary suspects.
The police in Gwinnett County received a report about a stolen RAM 1500 truck, which was taken on Tuesday from a home on Adams Acre Drive in Lawrenceville. The truck’s owner shared video footage showing the teenagers entering several vehicles in the area. They eventually found a set of keys in one of the vehicles and drove off with the truck.
After stealing the vehicle, the two teens drove it to Mill Creek High School, where they caused significant damage to the football field. According to school district spokesman Bernard Watson, the truck knocked over a gate and some fencing before performing doughnuts on the field. The damage included tire marks on the turf, but Watson noted that the destruction would have been worse if the field had been made of grass.
Fortunately, maintenance and facility staff were already on the scene to start repairs. Watson reassured the community that the damage would not affect the upcoming football season. Mill Creek’s first home game is set for August 30.
Later that day, Flock cameras alerted law enforcement to the location of the stolen truck, which officers found parked behind a Walmart on Sardis Church Road in the Buford area. The two teens were still inside the vehicle when police arrived. Officers attempted to box the truck in by parking in front and behind it. However, the 16-year-old girl refused to follow commands and drove the truck toward an officer, nearly hitting him.
The police pursuit continued for a short distance until the truck collided with another vehicle on Hamilton Mill Road. Both teenagers then exited the truck and attempted to run away. Officers quickly caught up to the girl, who was tased during the pursuit, as shown in bodycam footage released by the police.
Her name has not been disclosed. Meanwhile, the 17-year-old passenger, identified as Robert Krause from Lawrenceville, fled into nearby woods but was eventually apprehended by the department’s aviation unit.
The 16-year-old girl was taken to a youth detention center, while Krause was booked into the Gwinnett County jail. He faces multiple charges, including four counts each of entering auto and theft by taking.
Additional charges against him include aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer, fleeing or attempting to elude police, reckless driving, hit-and-run, driving without a license, obstruction, and providing a false name to the police. His bond has been set at $9,100.
Watson expressed disappointment over the teens’ actions, saying, “It’s unfortunate these young people decided to damage our property. We hope the authorities will hold them accountable for their actions. We’re in the process of making repairs so we can get back to normalcy and ensure that the teams have a place to play football.”
This is not the first similar incident to occur in the area. In September 2019, three students from West Forsyth High School were accused of damaging a band practice field at Roswell High by doing doughnuts in a vehicle.
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That incident took place after bad weather forced a game between the two schools to be canceled. The students were charged with second-degree criminal damage to property and reckless driving after admitting their involvement, according to a police incident report.
