AMHERST — Five males, ranging in age from 15 to 22, are facing charges after allegedly attempting to steal three bicycles from the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus as students were departing for Thanksgiving break.
The boys — ages 15, 16 and 17 — an 18-year-old Springfield man and a 22-year-old Southbridge man are being summoned to court on two counts of malicious destruction under $250 and two counts of larceny over $250 and charges of larceny under $250 and possession of burglary tools for their role in the Nov. 18 incident, according to UMass spokesman Edward Blaguszewski.
The incident occurred around 11:15 p.m. when the suspects were observed by a UMass police cadet with a bicycle in the area of Melville dormitory on Massachusetts Avenue.
Police determined that this was one of three bicycles stolen, which included two Specialized bikes valued at around $300 each and one Nishiki bike valued at around $150.
Blaguszewski said police used campus security footage to identify those involved, determining that two bicycle locks, valued at $20 each, had been destroyed by bolt cutters or heavy duty cutters. These were later located in the trunk of the vehicle used by the suspects, he said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
