It started with items scattered across a front yard — porch furniture overturned, household belongings thrown into the grass, and signs of chaos inside the home.
That’s what deputies encountered when they responded to a call about an unruly juvenile.
According to a report from the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, officers arrived to find clear evidence of a violent outburst, including damage inside the residence and property tossed from the porch. A man who lives at the home told deputies the teen’s behavior had escalated to the point that he feared for everyone’s safety.
He said the girl had recently punched a television in her bedroom, thrown items throughout the living room, and continued acting aggressively despite repeated attempts to calm her down.
The child’s mother also spoke with deputies and described ongoing problems, including a physical altercation the day before in another county, where she reported being punched in the head by her daughter. She said a domestic violence complaint had already been filed related to that incident.
Family members told deputies they were increasingly worried about the teen’s behavior, saying she had been communicating with adult men online and leaving home to meet them — sometimes traveling hours away. They also said she was already awaiting court proceedings in a separate domestic violence case involving another family member.
Inside the home, deputies documented damage to the teen’s bedroom, including a broken television, along with items strewn across multiple rooms. Outside, officers observed a chair flipped off the porch and other objects scattered in the yard.
The man told deputies he had gone so far as to hide knives in the house out of fear the situation could turn even more dangerous. He said he worried not only about violence inside the home, but also about the teen running away with strangers she meets online.
Due to the ongoing destruction of property and concerns for safety, the juvenile was taken into custody and transported to the Lawrence County Juvenile Center, where she will await arraignment in Juvenile Probate Court.
Deputies photographed the damage and provided the family with a report number. Court officials will contact the guardians with the date and time of the hearing.
No further details were released due to the child’s age.
