Open School Door Lures Boy, 12

Most kids stay away from school during the summer. But the lure of an open door apparently got the better of a Barrington boy on Saturday evening, July 14.

Three Barrington police officers responded to a call from the alarm company that monitors Hampden Meadows School. Motion was detected outside a classroom and in a hallway at about 6:24 pm.

Patrol Officers Timothy Oser, Gregg Koutros, and Joseph Andreozzi found a 12-year-old Riverview Drive boy inside the building, according to Police Chief John LaCross. The pre-teen appeared to be quite scared when officers found him.

Curiosity at finding an open door to the building apparently got the better of the boy, who was playing outside the school. The fact that the boy apparently needed to use the bathroom also played a role in his entering the school building, LaCross said.

The boy faces a charge of illegally entering the building, said the police chief. But the violation is expected to be handled by the Juvenile Hearing Board, not in Family Court.

Police secured the building with the help of a custodian. It is not known why the door was left open. Nothing was reported to be amiss inside the school.