UPDATE – Friday, Aug. 25, 10:54 a.m.
Three minors and an adult have been apprehended in connection with multiple burglaries that took place at Camino Real Elementary school in Kyle.
Mary Helen Alfaro, 28, of Kyle, was booked into the Hays County Jail on one charge of theft, which is a Class-B misdemeanor.
Two other 15-year-old males and a 14-year-old female were also arrested in connection with the crime. Both were booked into the Hays County Juvenile Detention facility.
According to a Hays County press release, authorities received information that resulted in the identification and apprehension of the suspects.
A search warrant was executed Aug. 22, which resulted in a "100 percent" receovery of stolen items. Those included computers, iPads and projectors, which cost approximately $12,000.
Subsequent to teh search warrant, the three juvenile suspects and Alfaro were detained as a result of the investigation.
Earlier
Thousands of dollars in iPads are what Hays CISD officials believe was stolen by suspects who broke into Camino Real Elementary in Kyle last week.
Now authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspects who were caught on surveillance video camera during one of the three burglaries that took place at the campus since Aug. 8. The break-ins mark the second time in as many weeks Hays CISD facilities were the targets of crime.
According to the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, surveillance video captured the suspects, who are described as two boys and one girl. However, authorities do not have additional identifying information at this time.
In addition, video also captured a white SUV in the parking lot at the same time as the burglaries. The make and model of the SUV is unknown at this time.
Tim Savoy, Hays CISD public information officer, said 21 iPads were stolen from Camino Real. Four of the 21 iPads were newer versions, which cost around $600 per tablet. The remaining 17 iPads cost roughly $300 a piece. The iPads were taken from various carts in the school.
It’s believed the suspects may have entered the building through the roof; however authorities have not validated that theory, Savoy said.
Savoy said the district has insurance that covers the tablets.
He added Hays CISD is a large enough school system where they could “absorb the iPads.”
“We have resources where it’s not going to impact the classroom on the first day of school,” Savoy said.
The break-ins at Camino Real, however, are not believed to be related to a series of break-ins that took place the previous week at the Central Office complex.
Those break-ins resulted in seven golf carts, three iPads and other items being stolen. Kyle Police on Aug. 7 arrested four teenagers in connection with those thefts.
Savoy said it was coindience the two events happened close together. However, he said it highlights the need for security improvements campus wide.
Hays CISD is expected to begin implementing district-wide security improvements, which was approved in its May 2017 bond proposal.
Cost is one of the limitations in updating security technology, Savoy said. The district’s last security upgrades were made with the purchase of new surveillance cameras in 2014.
“We have to spend money on security and that is money that could be used for other things,” Savoy said. “But you have to do it because the community has a large investment in its school system.”
Savoy said the investigation into the burglaries is in “good hands” and the district looks forward to talking with law enforcement on how to improve security.
Ultimately, those who burglarize schools take away not only from administrators, but also from the community, Savoy said.
“This property belongs to the kids who learn. Anyone who steals from the school system is stealing from the community,” Savoy said.
