Nation responds to school burglary
Although someone got away with several hundred cell phones that Laurel Highlands High School students were collecting to purchase calling cards for troops in Iraq, school officials have been overwhelmed with calls of support from throughout the country. Police said someone broke a window in the classroom of social studies and business teacher Terry Ainsley, entered the room and took a computer tower and 500 to 700 cell phones that were being stored in boxes.
Ed Zelich, assistant high school principal, said several wireless companies have donated phones or calling cards, while people have called the school offering to purchase calling cards or to make monetary donations.
“We had a call from a man in Tennessee who wanted to donate 500 cell phones,” he said. “This just goes to show how much people care.”
According to police, the burglary occurred sometime between 6 p.m. Monday and 9 a.m. Tuesday.
Classes at the school were canceled Tuesday because of inclement weather.
Ainsley said she came into school Tuesday morning to take care of final preparations for a trip with students to Washington, D.C., that began Wednesday when she noticed that a window was broken in her classroom.
“There was glass all over, my computer was gone, and all the cell phones that were in boxes along one wall were gone,” she said. “A lot of those phones looked like walkie-talkies, they were so old. I don’t know what someone would get out of them.”
She said some blood was found on the floor along with shattered glass in the classroom. State police noted they were unsure as to the motive for the theft.
Ainsley estimates that 500 to 700 phones were taken, just as she was preparing to send them to a recycling center next week.
At least one box of phones remained in the room, but they have since been moved to a locked location at the high school.
Zelich said state police are continuing their investigation.
“We’ve had no leads as far as who is responsible,” Zelich said. “We’re just trying to make a positive out of a negative.”
He said monetary donations or calling cards are more helpful than phones themselves because the phones are taken to a recycling center and then the proceeds are used to purchase calling cards for the troops.
Ainsley said she was overwhelmed by the amount of support that has been pledged in the days after the break-in. She planned to speak Friday evening with several companies who offered either monetary support or cell phones to replace those that were taken.
“I’ve always believed that out of something bad, multiple good things usually happen, and a lot of good has come from this,” she said.