Two boys, ages 11 and 13, broke into the Fox Valley Trolley Museum and bashed out train windows and did other damage that could cost as much as $150,000 to repair, South Elgin police and museum officials said.

The pair were arrested July 8 after police were able to track a blood trail from the museum at 365 S. LaFox St. to a nearby home, where the residents helped identify them and assisted with the investigation, Sgt. Mike Doty said.

Museum President Ed Konecki said Monday the vandals targeted the eight trolley cars locked inside two secured buildings. The bulk of the damage was to the trolley cars’ plate glass windows, which can be replaced but is expensive because it must be done by professional glaziers, he said.

Contractors gave the museum replacement quotes of between $100,000 to $150,000, he said.

“You can’t just take it to a glass shop. There is a lot of specialty work and specialized tools,” he said.

The pair have been charged with one count each of burglary and criminal damage to property.

“I have a lot of different emotions (about what happened),” Konecki said in an emailed response about his reaction to the vandalism. “Yes, anger, but even more (I feel) confusion, sorrow and hurt, wondering what drove children to do such a thing. Did the museum offend them (in some way) that we don't know about? I feel bad that alleged vandals wanted to destroy instead of build and create. There is so much to do that young people could participate in along with their parents. The museum is a group of volunteers that wants to both preserve the past and create a family experience where people can relive part of the past of the Chicago area and the Fox River Valley.”

Janelle Walker / The Courier-News South Elgin police say a blood trail led investigators to a home where two juveniles, ages 11 and 13, were arrested and charged with breaking into the Fox Valley Trolley Museum and doing anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000 in damage. South Elgin police say a blood trail led investigators to a home where two juveniles, ages 11 and 13, were arrested and charged with breaking into the Fox Valley Trolley Museum and doing anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000 in damage. (Janelle Walker / The Courier-News)

Doty would not comment on how the pair entered the secured buildings. “The juvenile laws are very strict about what we can and cannot talk about,” he said, including whether police had any previous contact with the suspects.

However, museum volunteer Jeff Bennett said on a Gofundme.com fundraising page that the boys “tunneled under the barn wall” to gain access to the buildings.

“The only thing more broken than the windows damaged inside our museum barn were our hearts!” Bennett said on the page, which had raised more than $3,500 as of Tuesday afternoon. “As we barely hang on financially, we are at a loss for means to repair the excessive amount of damage."

Michael Gilles, also a museum volunteer, said he believed the damage likely occurred during the day as the building is dark at night and it would be difficult to get around without turning on the lights.

The glass in one of the cars will be replaced in time for the village’s Riverfest, set for Aug. 17-19, thanks to a donation from fest organizers, Konecki said. The rest of the money will have to be raised through contributions.

Fox River Trolley cars are a part of South Elgin history, having operated in the village in the 1920s and 1930s.

“The South Elgin Police Department would like to thank the citizens of South Elgin who helped identify one of the juveniles,” Doty said in the release. “Parents are reminded to discuss with their children that committing these types of acts have ramifications that can affect their lives and future endeavors.”

The museum, founded in 1966, is open Saturdays during summer and for special events year-round.

Donations to repair the windows can be sent by check to Fox River Trolley Museum, P.O. Box 315, South Elgin, IL 60177-0315.

Janelle Walker / The Courier-News Fox Valley Trolley Museum volunteer Michael Gilles can be seen in the reflection of one of the trolley cars damaged by two young suspects, who are facing charges of burglary and criminal damage to property. Fox Valley Trolley Museum volunteer Michael Gilles can be seen in the reflection of one of the trolley cars damaged by two young suspects, who are facing charges of burglary and criminal damage to property. (Janelle Walker / The Courier-News)

Janelle Walker is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.