Electronics stolen when group joins downtown parties, police say

Electronics were stolen after a group invited itself to two downtown parties Saturday night, according to a release from Madison police.

Officers said four cellphones, a gaming system, two computers and a long board were taken from parties in the 900 and 1000 blocks of Spring Street.

Police said a 21-year-old downtown resident brought a group of people with him to the parties. At one party, it was believed the man was a friend of a friend. At the other party, some of the people at the party knew the man, but not the people whom he brought with him.

The thefts were not discovered until after the group left the parties.

Some of the victims who did not know the man were able to trace stolen cellphones to his apartment in the 1000 block of West Dayton Street on Sunday morning. Victims from the other party arrived at the apartment as police were at the scene investigating.

Several adult men in the apartment blamed the 16-year-old, who was with them, for the thefts. Police arrested the teen for burglary and theft.