On Tuesday morning ten Northeast College students were arrested by the Stanton County Sheriff’s office following an investigation into more than 30 election signs that were stolen in and around Woodland Park and Stanton last week over several different nights. The signs were both large plywood and smaller yard signs for the (Re-Elect Unger Sheriff) campaign. 31 signs were recovered by the Sheriff’s office from a residence North of Stanton that was also the scene of a large MIP party last fall that was broken up by the Sheriff’s office with multiple MIP citations issued. The ten young men confessed to their respective parts in the separate thefts and mounting them as trophies on the wall of the rural Stanton residence. They further admitted to the theft of one other campaign sign for another Sheriff candidate. Several of the signs and mounting wires were damaged during the thefts. All ten were booked at the Sheriff’s office on theft and criminal mischief charges and released on citations with court dates set for June. The theft or damage of any election sign is illegal and taken serious as is any theft of property by the Sheriff’s office. All ten suspects are named in the weekly bookings and booking photos. In a separate incident more than 30 election signs (Re-Elect Unger Sheriff) were damaged or destroyed last week in Stanton by two pre-teen males who were observed damaging the signs by riding their bikes over only a certain candidates signs and avoiding others and admitted the damage when confronted by the Sheriff’s office. They were released to their parents with a caution due to their age and informed to make restitution for the damages.
