Thieves Steal $100,000 Worth of Equipment from Clay Schools
alligcold said
16:31 04/28 2008
ORANGE PARK, FL -- A 22-year-old Clay County man has been arrested in connection with a string of burglaries at eight public schools.
The most recent incident happened at Ridgeview Elementary School.
Authorities say Brandon Dailey and two teenage juvenile accomplices broke into the school and stole tens of thousands of dollars worth of computer equipment.
The accomplices have been identified as a 16-year-old girl from Orange Park High School and a 17-year-old boy from Fleming Island High School. More suspects may be involved.
Sheriff Rick Beseler said there have been at least 30 incidents reported at the schools in the last year. $80,000 worth of school equipment was stolen and $25,000 worth of damages were reported.
Laptop computers, CD players and digital cameras are among the stolen items.
About $80,000 worth of equipment has been recovered and returned to the schools.
Authorities were tipped off to the break-ins after they say Dailey sold computers to someone.
Bruce Harvin, the head of security for the Clay County School Board says that the rash of burglaries has had a significant impact on student learning.
Detectives are also looking into school burglaries in Putnam and St. Johns counties to see if Dailey is connected to them.
He was arrested several times in the past for burglarizing schools.
The schools involved include Ridgeview Elementary, Ridgeview High, Fleming Island High, Orange Park High, Middleburg High, Keystone High, Lakeside Junior High, and Clay High Schools.
The most recent incident happened at Ridgeview Elementary School.
Authorities say Brandon Dailey and two teenage juvenile accomplices broke into the school and stole tens of thousands of dollars worth of computer equipment.
The accomplices have been identified as a 16-year-old girl from Orange Park High School and a 17-year-old boy from Fleming Island High School. More suspects may be involved.
Sheriff Rick Beseler said there have been at least 30 incidents reported at the schools in the last year. $80,000 worth of school equipment was stolen and $25,000 worth of damages were reported.
Laptop computers, CD players and digital cameras are among the stolen items.
About $80,000 worth of equipment has been recovered and returned to the schools.
Authorities were tipped off to the break-ins after they say Dailey sold computers to someone.
Bruce Harvin, the head of security for the Clay County School Board says that the rash of burglaries has had a significant impact on student learning.
Detectives are also looking into school burglaries in Putnam and St. Johns counties to see if Dailey is connected to them.
He was arrested several times in the past for burglarizing schools.
The schools involved include Ridgeview Elementary, Ridgeview High, Fleming Island High, Orange Park High, Middleburg High, Keystone High, Lakeside Junior High, and Clay High Schools.