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Thefts escalate as iPads stolen from Sem Yeto for 3rd time
FAIRFIELD — A custodian was robbed at gunpoint late Wednesday as 41 iPads were stolen from Sem Yeto Continuation School, marking the third time this school year that devices were pilfered from the campus.
The prior two incidents were classified as burglaries, but Fairfield police are now looking for two men responsible for Wednesday night’s incident, where the school employee was restrained with duct tape.
The incident took place around 10 p.m. when a 50-year-old male custodian was walking from one building to another. He was approached by two men, one of whom carried a handgun. The custodian was told at gunpoint to lay on the ground and threats on his life were made while inquiring about the iPads, according to police reports.
After the man told them where the iPads were located, the men used duct tape to bind his hands and also taped him to a desk. The two suspects escaped on foot with the iPads and the man was able to free his hands to call police. He was still partially taped to the desk when officers arrived, reports said. He was not injured.
Jacki Cottingim-Dias, Fairfield-Suisun School District superintendent, said aside from the frustration of the third theft, she is now alarmed that employees are being put at risk.
“We were extremely concerned before. Now we have a higher level of concern,” Cottingim-Dias said. “It’s one of those things where you don’t know what’s going on with people anymore. What is happening?”
Cottingim-Dias said immediate action was taken to assure that no employee will be alone on campuses in the district. She said the district will meet with employee union groups to see how to better protect them in the future.
On Oct. 25, 23 iPads used for school instruction were taken from an interior building at Sem Yeto. Police at the time said there was no sign of forced entry and the iPads were stolen from a locked cart in a building. Another 30 iPads were stolen in September. Police also described a similar scenario of no forced entry.
The iPads are used for students between seventh and ninth grade and are used in place of textbooks.
Cottingim-Dias said she believes those stolen Wednesday were replacements after the original burglaries.
“I’m reasonably sure they are,” she said. “We just recently got them replaced.”
After the October incident, it was decided that students would take the iPads home at night and be responsible for them. Cottingim-Dias said that unfortunately hadn’t been done yet.
The first suspect is described as a black male in his 20s, around 6 feet tall, medium build, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, black leather jacket, dark jeans, black and white shoes, and wearing gloves. The second suspect is described as a black male in his 20s, around 5 feet 6 inches tall with a medium build wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans with a white design on the back pocket, white gloves and black and white shoes.
Anyone with information about any of the thefts is asked to call Fairfield police at 428-7300.
Reach Danny Bernardini at 427-6935 or dbernardini@dailyrepublic.net. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/dberardinidr.
Danny Bernardini
Discussion | 10 comments
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BradFebruary 08, 2013 - 6:19 am
It absolutely blows my mind that with the condition our schools are in money and technology like this is placed in the school with the problem children who dont even want to be there. Way to use those resources.
Reply |GemmaFebruary 08, 2013 - 6:35 am
I agree with Brad.I remember reading the Christian High school in VV has students using IPADS,BUT those kids parent's pay for them to attend that school, so that's more understandable. A "continuation" school is robbed for the THIRD time, AND EVERY SINGLE TIME no signs of forced entry or break in? WHEN will they realize it's ONE OF THEIR OWN TAKING THE ITEMS, AND WHERE DOES THE SCHOOL COME UP WITH THIS MONEY TO BUY HUNDREDS OF IPADS? Something stinks, AND what was a custodian doing there so late at night????? Maybe I should remove my son from public school, and enroll him in a continuation school, so he can get a free IPAD...NOT! Let's reward kids that don't want to go to school to begin with by having them use an IPAD instead of books! Yeah, that's sounds about right for a Ca school!
Reply |BradFebruary 08, 2013 - 8:24 am
It is absolutely absurd. A mid-range Ipad is about $500. Looking at roughly $50,000 to reward trouble makers.
Reply |Christine in FFFebruary 08, 2013 - 10:03 am
I agree! Even the kids who excel in school and want to be there, don't get Ipads. They are the ones who truly need them, like IB students at Armijo.
Reply |Liberty BellFebruary 08, 2013 - 10:44 am
The custodian was there cleaning the school. Some work has to be completed after the students leave for the day.
Reply |ter666February 08, 2013 - 2:01 pm
Hopefully, after being stolen twice before, they thought to have tracking devices installed.
Reply |LuuFebruary 08, 2013 - 5:38 pm
People recover stolen apple products all the time. However, those are the smart ones who put tracking devices on them because they don't want to get ripped off. This school has been burglarized two times prior to this and still have not got the memo that this is continuously going to happen until they put a tracking on there.
Reply |Inside jobFebruary 08, 2013 - 8:50 pm
It's an inside job for sure. First off why would the janitor of all people know where te iPads are stored? What does this have to do in his job description? It was a setup for sure the dude didnt even get hurt and he probably made up the story and put the tape on himself. Also yea these are continuation school students so i mean do they even deserve to use iPads? Retarded school districts need to get on the ball at least put some cameras there or do like another one and do a sting operation.
Reply |!teacher432February 09, 2013 - 5:54 am
First, this is the third time they were robbed. The first two times there "was" forced entry and damage to the doors. Each time, the ipads were moved to a different location. The ipads were also moved to the district office daily for a while. Secondly, the ipads are cheaper than giving students text books (that get ruined the first year). Third, there are cameras in place and did catch a faint description of the crooks. While it's easy to think it's an inside job, if you knew the facts you wouldn't think that is the case. Plain and simple, there are a lot of loser criminals in Fairfield!
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