Texas Courthouse Suspects: Sombrero Wearing, Dancing Drunks
surveillance video show men wearing sombreros, waving gavel.
Oct. 19, 2011 — -- Authorities investigating a break-in at a Texas courthouse overnight now believe the incident was little more than a "prank" by drunken 20-somethings, officials said.
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff told ABC News the three men arrested in what the FBI initially considered a "high-priority" situation were spotted on the court's surveillance tapes dancing in the hallways and waving the court's gavel, all while wearing sombreros.
Wolff said they appeared to be "having a good time" and "could just be some guys on a prank."
The men, who a senior FBI official said appear to be of Moroccan descent, reportedly forced their way into the courthouse around 1 a.m. Two other men, who were outside the courthouse, were also arrested, Bexar County Sheriff's Department spokesman Louis Antu said.
In the course of their investigation, authorities uncovered pictures of courthouses and water systems from around the U.S. in the van used by the men, law enforcement officials said. Bomb-sniffing dogs were called to the scene as a precautionary measure but no explosives were found, Antu said. One FBI official said there did not appear to be an immediate threat to public safety.
An official with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who is also assisting in the investigation, told ABC News that two of the men had names similar to two that appear on an FBI watchlist.
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