'3 stooges' crew accused of causing $500K in damages to Conroe, other schools

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The "3 stooges" crew is accused of causing more than a half-million dollars in damages to Conroe ISD and other schools in and outside Montgomery County.

A Montgomery County grand jury indicted Chad Eaton, 21, Paul Clark, 20, and Ronnie Morris, 21, all of Conroe, on first-degree felony aggregate criminal mischief charges for an alleged month-and-a-half-long spree of burglaries and acts of vandalism that stretched from Harris County up to Walker County. On multiple occasions, the "3 stooges" and "3 Stooges hits again" was spray-painted on the wall when individuals broke into schools, Conroe ISD police said in court documents.

Five Conroe ISD schools were vandalized from late August to early October 2016. Six other schools outside of Conroe ISD also were targeted.

Eaton, Clark and Morris were arrested Oct. 7 during a traffic stop.

"We are pleased with the fine work conducted by the Conroe ISD Police Department in investigating and arresting the suspects," Conroe ISD Director of Communications Sarah Blakelock said.

A first-degree felony aggregate criminal mischief charge is used when the total cost of damage exceeds $300,000, according to the Texas Penal Code, although authorities said in civil court documents that the total cost among the 11 schools could be more than $500,000.

Morris and Eaton's attorneys declined to comment, and an attorney for Clark could not be reached.

The Incidents

Court documents show Conroe ISD's Moorhead Junior High, located in the 13400 block of FM 1485, was the first school hit around midnight Aug. 27. The three allegedly attempted to break into the school through a door near the school's bus ramp, but custodial staff members on scene scared off the individuals.

Law enforcement believes the second break-in happened about an hour later at The Woodlands High School 9th Grade Campus in the 10000 block of Branch Crossing Drive. Someone pried open a door by the bus ramp. Police believe the suspects ransacked parts of the building by smashing in computer monitors with a pry bar, breaking windows and damaging a vending machine.

The perpetrators also flooded part of the school by clogging a sink drain and turning on the faucet, court records show. The individuals responsible scrawled "3 stooges" on a wall in the teacher's lounge, right next to a knife that was left in the wall. School officials estimated the cost to repair the school was close to $27,000.

Next hit was Coldspring-Oakhurst High School in Walker County on Sept. 4, where there was $30,000 in damage, followed by Splendora, New Waverly and New Caney high schools all in one night on Sept. 18.

About a week later, the three allegedly broke into the Conroe High School 9th Grade Campus around 1 a.m., causing close to $13,000 worth of damage and stealing an undisclosed amount of money from the school's safe. A fire extinguisher also was discharged throughout the building and multiple windows and doors were broken.

That same night, the three allegedly broke into Conroe High School and The Woodlands College Park High School. At College Park High School, there was a broken glass door with estimated damages at $5,400, as was as $12,000 in cash stolen from a safe, court records show.

The final two reported hits caused the most damage, detectives said. Waller High School and Rosehill Christian Academy, west of Tomball, were broken into Oct. 2, allegedly causing a collective $130,000 worth of damage to both schools. It was at Waller High School where the three allegedly spray-painted "3 Stooges hits again," court records show.

On all of the reported break-ins, detectives said three assailants wore dark clothes, some sort of head covering to conceal their identity and dark shoes. They all had crow bars.

Arrest

Using surveillance camera footage, police said they were able to capture part of Eaton's face. Eaton, a former student at Caney Creek High School, was positively identified by a principal there, court records show. From that identification, Conroe ISD detectives searched social media and found photos of Eaton, Clark and Morris together, according to an affidavit.

The detectives pulled surveillance footage and credit card data from a gas station near Waller High School and found that Clark and Morris were at the gas station together around the same time of the burglaries at Waller High School and Rosehill Christian Academy, court records show.

The group was arrested after a traffic stop by Conroe ISD police, court and jail records show.

As a result of his arrest, Eaton had two cars seized by authorities, civil court records show.

Detectives believe Eaton was driving a 2005 gold Nissan Altima during all of the break-ins, which they say could be seen on surveillance footage at the schools. Detectives believe Eaton purchased a 2007 silver Dodge Charger for about $7,500 cash with money stolen from the schools, court records show.

Both cars were seized by the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. Eaton, court records show, contested the seizures of the cars in a letter he wrote from jail.

Eaton has been caught before burglarizing and vandalizing schools, court documents show.

All three face up to life in prison and a possible fine up to $10,000. Morris is sitting in the Montgomery County Jail on a $25,000 bond, while Eaton and Clark are in jail on a $150,000 bond each.

Eaton and Clark are due back in Judge Phil Grant's 9th state District Court Jan. 12 for a status conference. Morris will be back in Grant's court Jan. 19 for a status conference.