Computers are valuable things. They can store tons of information and they let you watch Gloria Estefan videos from the comfort of your apartment, with no one knowing anything about it until you inadvertently mention it on the World Wide Web. So you'd think that public schools would keep their supply of laptops locked up tight. Apparently that's not the case, because yesterday police announced that they had arrested a 17-year-old teenager for allegedly stealing over 100 laptops from public schools across the city.
Police say that Pedro De La Cruz, a 17-year-old Bronx teenager, began stealing laptops and other high-tech equipment in January. He allegedly started by breaking-into a church and stealing 37 laptops and a TV, which marked the beginning of a five month long crime spree.
In February, De La Cruz allegedly stole laptops from A. Philip Randolph Campus High School in Harlem and All Hallows High School on E. 164th St. in the Bronx. In March, police report that he stole laptops, games and cash from his own school, P.S. 280 in the Bronx, and stole three laptops from P.S. 108 in Harlem. Shortly after that theft, De La Cruz allegedly stole equipment from Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx. Tired yet? Well, De La Cruz wasn't.
A week later, on March 27th and March 28th, De La Cruz reportedly stole violins and five laptops from Crotona Academy High School and then on May 24th, he stole 27 laptops from P.S. 73. De La Cruz apparently had a good time there, because less than a week later he stole 50 more laptops from the school, said police. De La Cruz has been charged with criminal possession of stolen property and criminal possession of burglary tools; it's believed he was part of a ring of crooks. A former detective who now works for a stolen laptop-tracking software company told the Times, "These laptops are like fish in a barrel [for thieves]. Once they hear about them coming to the school, the theft planning begins."
