Police Arrest Three in Echo Canyon School Burglaries

Three suspects face charges after repeated break-ins at a closed Phoenix-area school campus, with about $281,000 in losses reported.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Property Crime

Flat editorial illustration of a pale stucco institutional building with shuttered openings under a wide desert sky. — Phoenix police arrested three suspects accused of burglarizing the closed Echo Canyon School campus, causing about $281,000 in losses to the Scottsdale Unified School District. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Phoenix police arrested three suspects accused of burglarizing the closed Echo Canyon School campus, which Scottsdale Unified School District reported caused $281,000 in stolen or damaged computer hardware and property damage. Two 16-year-old boys and 18-year-old Blake Eldredge were taken into custody, and a fourth suspect has not yet been found.

Why it matters

The case reflects a broader pattern police linked to the 'urban exploring' social media trend, in which people enter closed buildings. For residents of Phoenix, it highlights the security risks facing vacant public properties that remain in use for community events and equipment storage.

Eldredge was booked on multiple felony charges and the two teens were released to their parents, with charges submitted to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office will decide whether to prosecute, and the fourth suspect remains at large.

The players

Scottsdale Unified School District

The Arizona public school district that owns the closed Echo Canyon School and reported the $281,000 in losses.

Blake Eldredge

An 18-year-old man taken into custody and booked on multiple felony charges in connection with the school burglaries.

The details

Four people repeatedly entered the now-closed Echo Canyon School near 62nd Street and Camelback Road over several days, stealing and damaging computer equipment and other property. Police searched a home in north Scottsdale on Oct. 30 and later located a third suspect in Mesa, and Eldredge reportedly admitted to taking part and gave authorities information about where more stolen property was hidden.

Scottsdale Unified voted to close the school last year.
Four people broke into Echo Canyon School on Oct. 9.
Police searched a north Scottsdale home and detained two suspects on Oct. 30.

Legal Context

Police linked the Echo Canyon burglaries to the 'urban exploring' social media trend, in which people enter abandoned or closed buildings for online content. The case shows how that trend can escalate into felony property crime when a closed public facility is targeted.

Residents near the former Echo Canyon School may notice continued security at the site, which the district still uses for community events and equipment storage. Property owners in the area should keep vacant buildings secured to reduce the risk of similar break-ins.

The takeaway

Closed public buildings can remain attractive targets even when they are still in use, so securing vacant facilities matters as much as the buildings themselves. Communities can help by reporting suspicious entry to police early.