Teens Arrested In Tree Tackling Incidents
Have you ever contemplated running and jumping into a Christmas Tree? For a fleeting moment it might seem like a good way to get uninvited from a boring holiday party but in the case of five teenagers in St. Tammany Parish it's been a great way to earn a police record.
Authorities in St. Tammany Parish have been investigating incidents of vandalism at The Shady Pond Tree Farm near Pearl River. The farm has about 14,000 Christmas Trees growing on its property and some misguided young people thought it would be fun to "tackle" some of the young trees.
The teens did about $6,000 worth of damage to the farm's inventory during their nights of fun. The first incident was reported September 4th. The latest incident occurred on September 24th. Officials with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's office say 10 trees were destroyed and another 53 trees were damaged.
The five youths have been arrested and charged with crimes such as criminal trespassing, criminal damage to property, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The young people in question ranged from age 16 to 17 years old.