Atlanta Teens Break Into CNN Newsroom to Check Facebook

Two teens broke into CNN's newsroom in Atlanta for a simple purpose: to check Facebook.

The culprits were both young. Francis Mutemwa is 17. Aldayne Fearon is 18.

The break-in occurred early in the morning. The duo allegedly snuck in by climbing a ledge from a nearby hotel. That granted them access to the CNN Newsroom and to its computers. Police arrived only to find the two checking their Facebook pages.

The computers were not password protected, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

They were arrested and held on a $500 bond. Mutemwa and Fearon were charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass.

It's likely they didn't face harsher charges because of the nature of their actions. They may have illegally entered the newsroom, but it's not as if they stole anything. And it doesn't seem like they broke into the newsroom with the intent to commit a crime, which is typically an element of burglary.

Looking at one's Facebook page certainly isn't criminal. Though, the two teens could have chosen a better spot to peruse the web.

Most public libraries have a few computer terminals these days. Using those devices would have been completely free -- and lawful.

But perhaps they were simply caught up in the moment. Or, maybe they desperately needed to post a few photos. It's possible that they simply couldn't wait until normal business hours.

The teens that broke into the CNN building may end up facing penalties. Next time they should wait to check Facebook. Or at the very least, they should try not to sneak into an office building.

Related Resources:

• Police: Teens break into CNN, use Facebook (WSB-TV)
• Facebook Nabs Thief Who Proposed With Stolen Ring (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
• Check In on Facebook, Get Burglarized at Home (FindLaw Blotter)