Suspects ruled out in school break-ins

After reviewing security camera footage from the recent middle school break-in, law enforcement officials determined that two suspects previously identified in connection to the case were not involved in that incident or the high school break-in that occurred earlier this month.

Officials released 18-year-old Dale Bowen of Bigfork after questioning him last week. Bowen is no longer considered a suspect in the break-ins or the downtown vandalism spree that occurred earlier this summer.

“He (Bowen) does not appear to be a hot topic,” said Flathead County Undersheriff Jordan White.

The second individual, 18-year-old Eddie Wayne Dolzadelli of Bigfork, remains incarcerated at the county jail on $2,000 bail. Although Dolzadelli does not appear to have been involved in the school break-ins, he still faces a charge of felony criminal mischief stemming from last month’s string of vandalism incidents.

According to records from the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, the middle school break-in occurred on the night of Aug. 16, one day after the high school break-in.

Two suspects appear in the video footage recovered from the middle school break-in. According to White, those individuals match the descriptions of two of the three suspects that appear in the security footage from the high school break-in.

Although the camera images recovered from the middle school are of a higher quality than the video captured at the high school, officials were unable to identify the suspects because their faces were concealed.

“One of them had a red handkerchief over his face, and the other one had a hooded sweatshirt covering his face,” White said. “We’ve kind of run into a dead end, and if somebody does turn them in, it (the case) would be circumstantial.”

The images were enough, however, to clear Bowen and Dolzadelli from suspicion in the break-ins.

“There were some allegations based on the high school video that one of the suspects may have been Dolzadelli, but based on the consistency of the two videos and the higher quality of the middle school video, he has been ruled out,” White said.

Officials questioned Dolzadelli, but were unable to recover any new information related to the case.

Dolzadelli will appear in district court Sept. 8.

White said officials have been in contact with a teacher who claimed to recognize the suspects in the video footage, but was unable to recall their names.

“It’s really complicated,” White said.

Officials hope to receive new tips after the start of the school year, when more students and teachers become aware of the investigation.

“We’re working any tips that come in, and we’re waiting for people to report anything they hear, especially from the school,” White said. “We’re hoping that when school is back in session somebody has some new information.”