DECATUR — Two teenagers, Travis Brown, 19, and a 17-year old boy, were arrested last week in connection with a series of burglaries in Decatur.

The two teens have admitted to five burglaries in Decatur. They were caught after they allegedly broke into Main Street Academy in Siloam Springs on Jan. 21 and stole prescription pills and candy bars. Siloam Springs police officers patrolling the area found the two boys inside a Ford Ranger stuck front-end-first in a ditch across from the school after they tried to escape by driving across a field.

After they were arrested, the two teens told Siloam Springs police they may have broke into some places in Decatur. When Decatur officers interviewed the boys, they confessed to breaking into Timbers Taxidermy Shop, the concession stand and maintenance shed at the Edmiston Ball Fields, the Decatur Museum, a home on Jerry Avenue and the laundry mat at the Hidden Springs Apartments.

According to police reports, nothing was taken from Timbers Taxidermy, although several things were moved around. An antique conductor’s hat that belonged to R.W. Shwerin, the train conductor between 1895 and 1920, and an antique tobacco pipe were taken from the Decatur Museum. The pipe was later recovered in a dumpster behind Handy Mart, but the hat was thrown away in a dumpster at the Decatur Housing Authority Apartments and never recovered. It was valued at approximately $250, according to police reports.

Brown said the 17-year-old took microwaves from the ball field concession stand, although city officials didn’t find anything missing after the door was pried open. Two spools of string and four double ended snaps were taken from the ball field maintenance shed. One spool of string was later found in Brown’s garage and the other was found at his friend’s house. The snaps were recovered from Brown’s truck.

The 17-year-old admitted to entering the house on Jerry Avenue with another juvenile and taking a Nike bag, a camcorder and an x-box 360. The stolen goods were later returned without any police involvement when the owner confronted the 17-year old.

Brown and the 17-year old gained access to the five buildings by using a screwdriver to pry open locks, or a 12-to-18-inch long steel bar with a T-shaped handle to shatter a window. The house on Jerry Avenue was unlocked.

Brown claimed to be the look-out while the 17-year old boy broke into the buildings, but the 17-year old claimed to be the lookout while Brown broke into the buildings.

Brown told police he wasn’t sure why he helped the 17-year-old with the crimes, but said the boy promised to split any money they found. Brown expressed remorse for the crimes and promised he would never get himself in this position again, according to the police report.

Decatur police charged the 17-year-old boy, who was already being held in the Benton County Jail, with three counts of commercial burglary, a class “C” felony, two counts of residential burglary, a class “B” felony, and three misdemeanor counts of theft of property.

Decatur police arrested Brown on charges of three counts of commercial burglary, a class “C” felony, two counts of breaking and entering, a class “D” felony, and misdemeanor charges of theft of property.

The two teenagers also face charges of commercial burglary, breaking and entering, and theft of property for burglarizing the Main Street Academy in Siloam Springs.

Another juvenile was also recently arrested in connection with the burglary at Jerry Avenue, according to Police Chief Terry Luker.

Jeff Della Rosa of the Siloam Springs Herald Leader contributed to this story.

News, Pages 1 on 02/10/2010