Thursday, August 28, 2008
Middle school robbed a fifth time since Aug. 1
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- Fort Lauderdale Police are trying to determine if six young men who robbed William Dandy Middle School of laptops worth thousands of dollars are also connected to four other robberies at the school in the past month.
The school's Aug. 19 surveillance camera footage shows the youths, ranging between the ages of 15 and 20 years old, jumping a fence, making their way through the institution and wheeling a cart loaded with laptops away. Authorities estimate the value of the electronics at $40,000.
Officials said the fact that the thieves were able to enter the school without triggering the property's alarm system leads detectives to believe that the bandits knew exactly what they were doing and where they were going.
According to Fort Lauderdale Police Department Detective Kathy Collins, those purchasing the hot goods are equally culpable of the crime. "Whoever is buying these computers in the street or at a swap shop, they know a very expensive laptop [being sold] for a couple of hundred dollars [is] stolen," she said.
Authorities said they are analyzing surveillance camera footage from the recent rash of robberies, which began Aug. 1, to determine whether any of the five thefts are related.
If you have any information on this hi-tech robbery, 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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