BRIDGEPORT - Three 12-year-old boys were arrested Oct. 8 in connection with a series of burglaries at the city shop, 1013 Jefferson.
     The boys are charged with entering the shop's equipment yard and causing damage Oct. 5, Oct. 6 and Oct. 7, Douglas County Sheriff Harvey Gjesdal said.
     During the crime spree, the boys allegedly drove a small tractor around the yard while damaging a fence and vehicles. They also allegedly stole vehicle keys and fire extinguishers.
     Deputies assigned to the north county set up a camera and used a small, disabled tractor to hide the camera.
     On Oct. 7, the boys were seen entering the yard at night through a gap in a fence, Gjesdal said. They found the tractor and tried to make it run, and their activities were caught on the camera, he said.
     The photos were taken to the school the next day and the boys were identified.
     "The deputies showed great initiative and innovation to solve these crimes," Gjesdal said. "This is also an example of an effective partnership with citizens and other governmental entities."