The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports three teens have been charged following an investigation into reported vandalism via firearms in the region. According to authorities, 19-year-old Alexander Merk of Audubon and 18-year-old Colby Smith of Exira, and a juvenile were taken into custody Friday, May 26. Merk is charged with contributing to a delinquency of a minor, a simple misdemeanor; second-degree criminal mischief, a class D felony; reckless use of a firearm resulting in property damage, an aggravated misdemeanor; use of a dangerous weapon in the commission of a crime, an aggravated misdemeanor; and possession of a dangerous weapon while intoxicated, a serious misdemeanor. Smith faces the same charges plus first-offense operating while intoxicated. The minor was taken into custody and held in juvenile detention. Charges have been forwarded to the juvenile courts for processing.
