By Jim Clark

Police were summoned to Somerville High School last week by school officials on a report of the theft of a student’s cell phone.

A witness reportedly told police that he saw the suspect, Tyson Valcourt, 19, take the victim’s phone and hide it on a shelf. A short time later, according to the witness, a female student, a juvenile, walked over to where the phone was and took it.

After briefing the police officer on what had taken place, the school Vice Principal reportedly stopped Valcourt and a male juvenile as they were walking down the hallway. When the Vice Principal explained why he had stopped them, the juvenile reportedly became very animated and argumentative.

The Vice Principal then took the two youngsters into a side room where he said he hoped that they would calm down while the investigation into the incident continued.

Meanwhile the police officer called for backup in case the students’ emotional states got out of control.

The female who reportedly took the phone from the shelf was detained and questioned. She reportedly said that she had already given the phone back to the victim. When asked if he had been given his phone back, the victim reportedly said that he had not.

The girl reportedly told police that the phone must be in her jacket, which was supposedly in the school cafeteria. The officer then escorted the girl to the cafeteria, but she could not locate her jacket. She reportedly told the officer that if she could not find her jacket then she could not return the phone.

It was soon discovered that the student’s jacket had been retrieved by a teacher and put away for safekeeping. A search of the jacket turned up the victim’s phone.

Both Valcourt and the girl were placed under arrest and charged with larceny over $250.

During booking, Valcourt was found to have two cell phones on his person. He reportedly told police that one of them belonged to him and that the other one belonged to the girl. The girl reportedly denied that the phone was hers.