Police: Teen Trio Broke Into Rye High School, Looted Lockers and Music Room

Three teenage girls were arrested for felony burglary April 30 after they were caught at midnight, walking out of Rye High School carrying items they'd allegedly looted from lockers and the school music room.

Police were alerted at 11:40 p.m. by burglary alarms the teens had triggered when they ducked into the school through an open window. A sergeant and several patrol officers responded and set up a perimeter around the building. After an officer located the open window, police who were watching the east corner of the school spotted the three dark shapes of the teenagers leaving from another exit.

The girls were placed under arrest and taken back to Rye police headquarters while officers at the school brought in a Harrison K9 unit for a complete search. They didn't find anyone else inside, but they did find several open lockers, as well as clothes, an open guitar case that had been taken from the music room and other items dropped at the last minute before the girls left.

The suspects -- 18-year-old Amanda Ruge of Rectory Street and two 17-year-old girls -- were carrying a bass guitar, a strobe light, clothes and a purse. In all, the combined value of the stolen items was $350, according to Rye police.

Ruge and the two other teenagers were each charged with felony third-degree burglary, as well as misdemeanor petty larceny. The names of the two younger girls have been withheld because they may quality for youthful offender status. Under youthful offender adjudication, minors who don't have previous criminal convictions can have their records sealed, usually in combination with a community service and probation program. One of the younger girls is from Rye and the other listed a Tuckahoe address, but police described all three as "local." It wasn't clear if they were students at the school.

The girls were arraigned and at least one was sent to Westchester County Jail. All three were scheduled to return to court on May 4.