Failed school prank leads to arrests

CINCINNATI, May 17 (UPI) -- A student prank at an Ohio school went awry, leading to the arrest of a dozen students on charges of breaking and entering and resisting arrest, officials said.

A group of about 20 teenagers entered Lockland High School north of Cincinnati Thursday, intending to move all the books from the school library to its cafeteria, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported. The prank failed when the students found the library doors locked.

Police from six different jurisdictions converged on the school, responding to a report of a break-in, and arrested 12 of the students on adult felony charges. Some younger participants in the prank faced charges of trespassing and curfew violations, the newspaper said.

All those taken into custody have been released and are awaiting a hearing on the charges.

Some parents complained police were too harsh in handling the incident and said they were upset their children, many college-bound, were facing felony charges.

Lockland Police Lt. Terry Wilkinson said the way police handled the matter was "not malicious."

"This … is (about) getting them to understand that this type of behavior is unacceptable," Wilkinson said. "They have to understand this is a crime.

"We are not trying to maliciously hurt their lives … we have a job to do, and we did it."