Daycare burglarized during Thanksgiving holiday

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) -- A daycare owner has been left devastated after crooks ransacked her business during the long Thanksgiving holiday.

Altonia Givens says she's not sure what to do next. "You can see that the TV was actually ripped off from the wall," said Givens. "My big 57-inch TV was right here."

Two television sets, computers, thousands of dollars of things stolen from the Kids R Us Learning Academy in Pompano Beach. "I had the X-Box here," said Altonia. "I had the PlayStation 3, and the Wii was actually connected to the TV. They took everything."

"The printer was on the floor," said Cameron Givens. "Everything was messed up." The family was out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday when the burglars moved in. "It's a small business," said Altonia. "We're just trying to make it and try to help the kids. Everything we do is for the kids."

The home daycare had to cancel school after they arrived home Tuesday morning and discovered the mess. "The first thing I saw was the TV was gone," said Altonia. "Then, I looked down the hall and every closet door was open, every drawer was open, even food out of the refrigerator was gone. That's what really surprised me, all the cabinets, and the refrigerator was open."

The entire house ransacked, the burglars left through the back, dropping things along the way.

On a regular day, the Kids R Us Learning Academy has about 10 kids. On Tuesday, they had only two, which are children whose parents could not avoid not dropping them off. However, with no television and a complete mess, they don't know what they're going to do next. "Going into Christmas," said Altonia, "I have my kids, and I have the daycare kids, and I have to replace all this stuff."

The cost could be detrimental, especially to a small business owner just trying to make it. "It's not fair for them," said a parent. "They have to cancel daycare and everything. So now the parents have to find somewhere else. I have to find somewhere for my baby to go today."

"I feel unsafe in the neighborhood," said Givens. "To know that someone could come in through your front window and take your stuff right out your door."

There's still lots of cleaning going on at the daycare. The owners arrived at 4 a.m. Tuesday morning after a family trip to Ohio.

Police were able to pull a fingerprint from the scene but they still need your help.

If you have any information on this burglary, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

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