The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Man sentenced for break-in
Pennsylvania man receives 18 months in prison for breaking into Mentor daycare while high on PCP
A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 18 months in prison June 4 for breaking into a Mentor daycare while he was high on PCP.
Vincent Pratt, 33, illegally entered the property of Small Hands Big Dreams Learning Center on Market Street about 6 a.m. Oct. 25. The incident led to the facility being evacuated.
In April Platt pleaded guilty to one count each of vandalism and trespass in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present. Four other counts were dismissed in exchange for the plea.
Surveillance footage shown during Pratt’s sentencing hearing in Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge Vincent A. Culotta’s courtroom shows Pratt
rip a keypad off the wall in the daycare’s vestibule before shattering a side window in climbing through. Pratt was taken into custody by Mentor police about four minutes after entering the facility.
He had cut himself on the window and spilled blood on the carpet, books toys and furniture.
A biohazard crew was called in to clean the area and the blood strewn items needed to be replaced. A
blood test came back positive for PCP.
During his sentencing hearing, Pratt — who did not have children at the daycare and no other connection to the business — said that he was not high on PCP at the time of the incident. Pratt was working for a cleaning crew near the daycare at the time of the incident. He had an argument with a coworker and said the coworker punched him in the back of the head, causing him to black out. Pratt admitted to smoking PCP before leaving Pennsylvania for the job.
Both Assistant Prosecutor Michael Barth and Culotta said that Pratt has been inconsistent with his story about his PCP usage. Barth also said that Pratt admitted to smoking PCP in May while out on bond. Pratt has been residing in Cleveland with his mother while on bond.
Barth said that one child who was present at the time of Pratt’s break in has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Pratt is also required to pay just over $2,000 in restitution for damage done to the facility that was not covered by insurance.