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2 Boys Accused Of Damaging Strip Mine Equipment

MONONGAHELA TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- The grandfather of a 12-year-old Greene County boy charged with causing thousands of dollars worth of damage at a strip mine is trying to make sense of it.

State police in Waynesburg say the boy and his 9-year-old friend caused $164,000 in damages.

The incident happened back on April 21 at the site on Mable Hill Road in Monongahela Township.

According to state police, a large excavator was used to flip over a bulldozer and rocks were thrown to smash all the windows on a second bulldozer.

The grandfather, who didn't want his name reported, says he's still trying to figure out what happened.

"I looked at the size of the machine I thought, 'How in the world did those young boys operate a machine that large?'" he said.

State police say the 9-year-old boy won't face charges because of his age. In the state of Pennsylvania, a person can't be charged with a crime until age 10. The 12-year-old will be charged with a third degree felony.

The boys told police they did it because they were bored.

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