Neighbors upset with teens jumping on cars in Brewerytown

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - One Philadelphia neighborhood is about to boil over. Neighbors are upset over what they call persistent problems with a nearby school for children with disciplinary problems. The neighbors say home surveillance caught the latest incident.

"It's extremely upsetting. You park your car, you think it's safe," said Ben Steele.

Two students identified as being from nearby Camelot Academy caught on home surveillance climbing on top of Daniel Steele's car on the 1500 block of North 26th Street. The pair jumping up and down like the car was a trampoline, leaving large dents in the roof.

"These kids get out of school and run up and down the block. Unruly, jumping on people's cars," said Daniel Steele.

The incident took place Wednesday afternoon, April 18 just after 2:30. People in this Brewerytown neighborhood say is not the first time they've witnessed bad behavior by Camelot Academy students.

Camelot Academy is a transitional school for Philadelphia School District students who have had to leave their public school for disciplinary infractions. Camelot is designed to get students back on track.

"It's been excessive and it's happening often," said Kevin Gil.

Gil actually mentors one of the Camelot students.

"He's actually expressed that they enjoy messing with us and I'm trying to tell him that is not a good thing to celebrate," Gil explained.

Kirk Dorn is a spokesperson for Camelot Academy and says it is not a reflection of the some 300 other students.

"We're outraged as anybody else would be about this. But, it's important to note that this incident happened more than an hour after school and away from school," Dorn said.

Camelot Academy said it escorts its students from the school two blocks to the bus stop, so this sort of thing does not happen. Camelot said it will address the incident.

"Our intention is to get these kids with the owner and with us and the kids parents and work through this and have the kids learn from this," Dorn explained.

The owner of the car reported the incident to the police. He said the two young men need to be held accountable and wants to be reimbursed for the damage.

The school said it works hard to have a good relationship with the community.