By Tanner Kent
SLEEPY EYE — Having already been expelled from Sleepy Eye Public Schools, a Morgan teen is facing three felonies in relation to a Feb. 18 vandalism spree that caused more than $16,000 in damages at the school.
Nathan Scott Eckstein, 17, has been charged with one count of first-degree arson as well as felony burglary and property damage charges. The juvenile delinquency petition was filed against him in Brown County District Court on Thursday and he is scheduled to appear in court April 13.
According to the petition, Eckstein and two minor-aged male accomplices entered the school sometime before 2:43 a.m. Feb. 18. Upon arriving on the scene, police and fire officials found an open window on the west side of the school and extinguished a fire burning in the locker room.
Officers then searched the school and discovered several rooms and hallways sprayed with shaving cream as well as the library and custodian’s office. A physical education teacher’s office was broken into and lockers in the boys’ locker room had been set on fire. A laptop also was stolen from the school, which officers later recovered.
According to the petition, all three individuals admitted being in the school when confronted by officers. Eckstein also told authorities that one of his accomplices took money from an office and broke an acoustic guitar over a computer.
The three boys were identified through surveillance footage. The day after the incident, Sleepy Eye closed school. Later, school officials estimated damages at more than $16,000.
