Facebook tips lead to Lancaster teens charged in slingshot vandalism, police say

Police in Lancaster County charged a pair of teens with using slingshots to damage vehicles, homes and businesses after comments from Facebook users led officers to the culprits.

Dylan Michael Farrell, 17, and Haven Chance Mangum, 17, are charged with eight counts of malicious damage to property for the crime spree dating back to February. The teens were arrested Friday and later released from the Lancaster County jail on personal recognizance bonds, court records show.

Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile said the boys used a slingshot to throw metal balls at moving cars on Lancaster County roads.

“Someone could have been seriously injured or killed by the actions of these men,” Faile said.

Faile said he hopes both have learned a lesson by the arrests.

After sheriff’s deputies posted damage to cars and homes on the agency Facebook page after damage in March and April, comments led police to Farrell and Mangum, said Doug Barfield, sheriff’s office spokesperson.

Police recovered steel balls and pellets at several of the crime scenes. Windows were smashed on moving vehicles four times in late March and early April, police said. Home windows were damaged in two homes, and a Lancaster County car dealer had damage to two vehicles last week.

Both teens are charged with eight counts of damaging property, police said.

Mangum also was involved in two other incidents in February and faces a total of 10 malicious damage to property charges. Mangum was out on a personal recognizance bond for a February burglary charge when the March and April crimes happened, according to court records.