Man caught inside Poland high school, charged

POLAND — An Olde Winter Trail man accused of entering Poland Seminary High School over the weekend is to appear in Struthers Municipal Court Sept. 24, charged with breaking and entering, possession of criminal tools and inducing panic.

Township police arrested Brian Mentges, 22, about 10 p.m. Friday inside the school. Mentges initially told police that he had been hired to work at the school. He had keys to the building. After police contacted school officials, Mentges acknowledged that he isn’t employed by the district. He said he found the keys to the school. Mentges isn’t accused of taking anything from the school or causing damage inside. Video surveillance shows him walking around inside of the school building, talking on his cellular phone, a school official said.