BOARDMAN Wave of break-ins targets schools

Police would not say if there are any suspects in the thefts.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN Jr.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Township police are investigating what appears to be a series of break-ins at schools here.
Stadium Drive Elementary, St. Charles School and Boardman Center Middle School have all either been broken in to or vandalized in the last month.
The schools are all in the same general area and police Lt. Jerre Patterson said the crimes all have similarities.
Boardman Center custodial staff discovered early Monday that the building had been broken in to over the weekend.
Officers responding to the call checked the building but found no suspects.
What officers did find was a three-floor mess of broken glass, holes in walls and doors, and other damage throughout the building.
Police said vending machines had been forced open and all change removed. The thieves attempted to open the school safe, but could not crack the lock.
Pupils were able to attend school Monday morning because school officials were able to clean up the glass and debris by the start of the school day after calling in additional personnel.
St. Charles: The principal at St. Charles School discovered desk and cabinet drawers partially open in the office area Sept. 19. Each classroom had also been entered, and the teachers' desks were ransacked. Several items were taken from the school, but nothing was reported missing from the church where the intruders also were found to have gained access.
On Sept. 22, police responded to a break-in Saturday morning at Stadium Drive Elementary. The principal paid a weekend visit to his office and found someone had broken in to the school's safe. Police did not say what was taken.
Patterson would not say if authorities have any suspects in the break-ins and vandalism. He would only say that crime scene technicians have collected evidence from the buildings.
jgoodwin@vindy.com