PORTAGE (WWJ) -- Two teens are in trouble with the law after they were allegedly caught looting in a tornado-ravaged West Michigan town.
Local police in hard-hit Portage, near Kalamazoo, are planning extra patrols in storm impacted areas, after looters hit a strip mall damaged by Tuesday's tornado.
WWJ's Jonathan Carlson reports Portage Police arrested two teens accused of rummaging through one of the businesses destroyed, and walking out with stolen items in hand.
TV station 13 On Your Side said happened at around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, at the shopping center on W. Center Ave., and that the business owner told police they do want to press charges.
An 18-year-old suspect from Galesburg was taken into custody, along with a younger teen from Kalamazoo who was turned over to her parents.
No information was released about items that were taken.
The case was turned over to the prosecutor's office for review.
The National Weather Service confirmed a powerful EF-2 tornado touched down in Portage at around 6 p.m. on Tuesday, doing significant damage to homes, a strip mall, and a FedEx facility. With estimated peak winds of 135 mph, the tornado was about 300 yards wide and was on the ground for about 11 miles. A second tornado said to have hit Portage an hour later was never confirmed by NWS.
Three more tornadoes hit elsewhere in West Michigan the same night, leading to a disaster declaration by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.