3 Arrested After Being Discovered Inside Bloomingdale High School

VALRICO, FL — The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office has arrested three men accused of breaking into Bloomingdale High School early Tuesday morning.

Just before 3 a.m. on Dec. 31, deputies responded an alarm at the high school at 1700 Bloomingdale Ave.

While searching inside, deputies discovered a fire extinguisher missing near one of the classrooms. Shortly after, they found broken glass on the door to the main office and found three men inside the office.

The men, later identified as Alexander Ducot, 19, Daniel Myers, 19, and Tyrus Cates, 18, fled, but were caught by deputies outside the school building.

Multiple desk drawers inside the main office were found open and nearly two dozen school keys were scattered across the floor and in the hallway. The safety pin for a fire extinguisher was also found on the floor of the office.

One of the men had a mailroom bag belonging to Bloomingdale High, which contained several items including $4.96 in miscellaneous coins, a Windows HP computer valued at approximately $1,100, a USB adapter, a screw driver and miscellaneous paperwork including a check for $518.

Deputies believe the same men arrested on Tuesday are responsible for another break-in at Bloomingdale High School that occurred around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 28. Deputies responded to an alarm at the high school and found an open door leading to the cafeteria where a white substance consistent with fire extinguisher discharge was discovered.

The men are facing charges of grand theft third degree, grand theft of a fire extinguisher, rendering a fire extinguisher inoperative, resisting an officer without violence, trespassing and burglary, among other charges.

"Stealing property used to educate our children and keep them safe is unacceptable," said Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister. "This men will learn the hard way that breaking into a school is not a prank. It is a crime. Thankfully, deputies were able to catch them in the act, and we returned the property they took to the school."