Two juveniles, ages 11 and 13, broke in to the Fox River Trolley Museum and bashed out train windows and did other damage that could cost as much as $150,000 to repair, South Elgin police and museum officials said...

The Fox River Trolley Museum suffered a terrible burglary, that was discovered on July 7th. As reported everywhere, two boys, 11 & 13 tunneled under the barn wall and did over $110,000 of damage across all seven cars inside the barn. As we barely hang on financially, we are at a loss for means to repair the excessive amount of damage.

Second, do the parents have any financial responsibility for the actions of their minor children? Is there a legal recourse, or would the cost of bringing the matter to trial outweigh any possible award?

The pair have been charged with one count each of burglary and criminal damage to property.

And walked away with a stern warning not to do it again......why is no one responsible for their actions anymore?

the odds of being able to recover anything from the perpetrators or their families are basically zero or lower, unless the perpetrator just happens to come from an incredibly rich family with comprehensive insurance coverage.

Go after their assets who cares if they don't have much, even if it cost more to go after them then you recive. The message to the sorronding comunety will be very strong.

Our tourist railway in BC was constantly targeted by local graffiti "artists" until the time we caught them red handed at 2 am with spray cans and all and " detained" them in the far back of the roundhouse. We " forgot" them for about 40 hours and when we released them we warned them if there was a next time,..... they could figure on a much longer "stay" with us.

We never had another incident.

Comprehensive is for what happens to you, not what you do to others (as that's liability) and certainly not for an intentional act.
This wasn't an 'oops' where these kids accidently knocked over a ladder onto a window. It's clear they worked really hard to intentionally cause this damage.
A good attorney (or the insurance carrier) can run an assets check on the parents for an amount this high.
Before it comes up, this isn't an age of majority issue as it wasn't an accident. "They were just kids, so it doesn't count" won't be a defense in such a case as it would in the case where a little kid does something stupid and accidently causes a loss.
And that message will likely be, "Look what the rich white people with their full-sized toy train did to the family of a (probable) low-income kid."
That isn't the way you want your museum to be seen by the public.
We live in a world where people in certain demographics are viewed as getting a 'pass' in cases like this based on their background and past 'injustices' upon people they know or are distantly related to.
You don't gotta like it, but you can't ignore it.

omprehensive is for what happens to you, not what you do to others (as that's liability) and certainly not for an intentional act.
This wasn't an 'oops' where these kids accidently knocked over a ladder onto a window. It's clear they worked really hard to intentionally cause this damage.
A good attorney (or the insurance carrier) can run an assets check on the parents for an amount this high.

Do you really think the media will report on it? ... I can assure you then you put a cross a strong message parents in the area will make sure to tell their kids not even to look at your place.

And that message will likely be, "Look what the rich white people with their full-sized toy train did to the family of a (probable) low-income kid."

A quick google maps and street-view tour of the area shows numerous large townhouses, very large houses, and a few nicely maintained smaller house, with nice shiny vehicles in the driveways. The "rich people" in this case, may be the museum's neighbors.