John Berry, director of youth rehabilitation for Portage County Juvenile Court, said most juveniles, often between 14 and 16 years old, caught in destructive acts are usually part of a group doing a prank that has not considered the result or cost of its actions. In the case of the June 15 Ravenna High School fire that was ruled an arson, Berry said he suspects one or more students set it to get out of school. We usually find that they didn't think they'd get caught and they didn't think they'd hurt anybody. Ravenna Fire Chief Jim DiPaola is counting on students at the school to play a key role in catching the vandal who burned it down. DiPaola is hoping students who knew who had access to the storage area where the fire started will come forward with the information he needs.
Somebody there knows something.
Susan Shea contributed to this story. This material is copyrighted by The Daily Record, Wooster, Ohio, and may not be republished without permission.