Bronx

Teen Calculator Robbery Ring Breaking Into NYC High Schools Scores $40K: Cops

Not always successful, but a handful of calculator thefts have earned the thieves roughly $42,000 in stolen goods, police say

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Police suspect a group of high school-aged thieves are responsible for breaking into half a dozen buildings as part of a calculator theft ring. News 4’s Jessica Cunnington reports.

A group of teenage suspects are wanted by police for breaking into almost a dozen high schools in the Bronx and stealing a cache of calculators valued at more than $40,000.

The NYPD released the first look at the high school-aged thieves reportedly behind break-ins at schools through the borough dating back to the beginning of February.

Since Feb. 6, the thieving teens have been sneaking into schools in the middle of the night and in most cases running off with the academic tools valued in the thousands. Police believe they first hit NYC Charter High School for Architecture, Engineering and Construction Industries, where two suspects scaled a fire escape to sneak in and steal calculators valued at $6,900.

There was almost a two-week break before police tied the suspects to a second robbery. On Feb. 19, a group of four snuck into Bronx Regional High School around 2:30 a.m. This heist brought one of the smallest returns, just $1,465 in calculators, according to police.

The following weekend, police said the teens broke into Morris High School twice by forcing their way through windows on Feb. 25 and 26. There was nothing of value swiped, but the teens allegedly used a chair to break a number of door windows inside the building.

Police released security video of a duo breaking into a Bronx high school in a series of calculator robberies.

Two subsequent robberies had their biggest scores. In back-to-back nights, police believe the suspects broke into Mott Haven Village High School with a pair making off with roughly $14,000 in calculators the first two nights of March.

On March 5, a trio climbed over a security gate at South Bronx Community Charter High School but could not get into the school after trying to break the lock on a side door.

Hours later, three suspects returned to Morris High School using a brick to smash a cafeteria window and gain access to the school around 4:30 a.m. At least two of the group used a hammer to smash windows throughout several floors of the school. Ultimately, the group left without any calculators but left an estimated $15,000 in damage.

The final robbery on Tuesday earned a pair of suspects $6,000 in calculators from Legacy College Preparatory High School. The duo had to break glass on a third-floor classroom door to get access.

Investigators suspect the team of thieves range in age between 15 and 18.

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