Howdy,

Yes you can still file charges...I would suggest that you not handle the chips, if at all possible. It sounds like these kids are the type that may have been in trouble before. Take a sampling of say 10(?) and put those away in a plastic bag, seal and date it. Take it with you when you go and talk to the authorities.

Once you are in AFIS you are there for good. It may actually take a year or two, but skip the police unless they take you up on your request right away. Go directly to the prosecuter's office or district attorney, depending on what your county calls them. They are the ones that make the call of weather or not charges will be pressed. Just because the police take a report doesn't mean it will go much further. In cases such as this they are referred to their office and that is where they normally die due to volume of cases.

If you are able to provide names and address, a simple call from their office to her parent's or her, depending on her age, may be enough for her to give names and numbers to avoid a minor charge.

David

*AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System)

I am not an attorney nor do I pretend to be one - I work for a living : ) so take this all for what it is...my observations from experience