Update: Five local juveniles arrested for vandalizing community garden

Five juveniles have been charged with a felony in connection with vandalizing the community garden in Brook Run Park, according to Dunwoody Police.

Those arrested were all 16 years old, police said. Their names are being withheld by police as is the normal procedure for those accused of crimes who are underage.

Four of those charged are students at Dunwoody High School, police said. A teenager from Roswell charged in the incident used to live in the city.

The garden was vanadalized late on March 30 or early March 31 causing damage, including the destruction of 60 pounds of food that was going to be given to a local food pantry.

An anonymous source stepped forward with information during the last week, Sgt. Mike Carlson said.

The documents formally charging the five juveniles was dropped off at the county's juvenile court on Tuesday. The youths were charged and then released to their parents, according to police.

The five juveniles have been charged with criminal damage to property, a felony, police said.

The community garden was estimated to have been damaged up to $4,000. The threshold from misdememeanor to felonies in such cases is $500, Carlson said.

Dunwoody Police Chief Billy Grogan said in a statement, "A group of teenagers decided to go to Brook Run Park after hours. One thing led to another and now all five of them are charged with ... a felony. I can’t stress enough about how important it is for teenagers to think about the consequences of their actions before they do something like this."

Actions have consequences and as you get older the consequences become more severe. This is a great opportunity for parents to engage their teenager in a conversation about decision making that may help them make better decisions in the future."