4 Students Stole Car, Broke Into 2 High Schools, Roamed Halls With Fake Gun: Police Say

FRANKLIN LAKES, NJ — Four children broke into a high school in Bergen County on Monday and roamed the halls with a toy gun, police said.

The Franklin Lakes Police Department said they responded to Ramapo High School shortly after 1:30 a.m. after school security reported four people walking in the halls, one of whom appeared to have a firearm.

The schools were closed Monday for Yom Kippur.

When police arrived, they found four people inside the school ranging in age from 11 to 17, and arrested them, said Police Captain Robert Grassi. One of them had a plastic toy rifle that resembled an FN P90, which is a submachine gun, police said.

Police determined that the four kids broke into the school, stole a vehicle, drove to another high school in the area, broke into that school, then came back to Ramapo High, where they were seen and arrested.

The school is one of two regional high schools in the area. Students in Franklin Lakes, Oakland, and Wyckoff attend either Ramapo High School in Franklin Lakes or Indian Hills High School in Oakland.

All four children were released into custody of their parents or guardians, police said.

Police said charges are forthcoming and no further details will be released for now.

Because of the report of the gun, Franklin Lakes police requested mutual aid from Oakland, Wyckoff, Glen Rock, Ridgewood, Mahwah, Fair Lawn, North Haledon, and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office.

Patch will update this story when more information is available.