8 Teens Arrested for Underage Drinking Behind Arlington Heights School

Drinking at the playground behind Westgate Elementary School, eight teenagers were arrested Saturday night, police said. 

According to the Arlington Heights Police Department, the eight juveniles, ranging in age from 15 to 17, were caught with a 30-pack of beer and a six-pack of Smirnoff Ice. 

Spotted with alcohol near the playground at 500 S. Dwyer Avenue, an anonymous tipster called 911 to report the teens around 8:15 p.m. Saturday.

According to the police report, as soon as officers pulled up to the elementary school, all of the teens scattered and started to run from police. Officers with Arlington Heights police contained the area and rounded up eight juveniles; it’s unclear if anyone was able to get away from officers and flee the area, police said.

The four boys and four girls told officers they met at the school playground to drink, the report stated. The teenagers admitted to being on school property to consume alcoholic beverages but no one would say where the alcohol came from. The teens refused to tell Arlington Heights officers how they got the alcohol or who bought it for them, police said.

All of the teenagers were placed under arrest and transported to the Arlington Heights Police Department to be processed and picked up by their parents. 

Of the eight teenagers arrested, seven are Arlington Heights residents. No names will be released because all are juveniles, police said.

Charged with underage possession, the eight teens are scheduled to appear in court in Rolling Meadows Thursday, Dec. 20.