A string of strange break-ins have occurred over the summer at Washington Elementary School in Burbank. In the course of three weeks, the campus has been broken into three times and the Burbank Police Department currently has the case under investigation.
The first break-in occurred somewhere between 2:50 PM on 6/22/23 and 6:00 AM on 6/23/23 and authorities say an unidentified suspect entered the facility via a window and entered the teacher’s lounge where a medical cart key may have been taken. No other loss was reported that day.
The second break-in took place somewhere between 2:30 PM on 6/27/23 and 6:00 AM on 6/28/23 and the unidentified suspect entered the facility from a window again but this time rummaged through the front office and a laptop was reportedly stolen.
The most recent break-in occurred between 3:00 PM on 7/3/23 and 6:00 AM on 7/5/23. In each instance the custodian found the scene upon arrival of work in the morning to prepare the campus which is open to students for summer school.
In this incident unidentified suspect(s) ransacked the Speech Pathologist’s classroom, threw school supplies on the floor, broke a laptop, and sprayed a fire extinguisher in the room. While no loss was reported, there was about $5,000 in damages caused. “It has been very upsetting to think about intruders targeting my school,” said Principal Laura Vinyard.
“The school district is fortifying the windows at Washington Elementary by installing additional hardware to the windows. There is also an increase in police patrol in the neighborhood. If you see something, say something by contacting the Burbank Police Department at 818-283-3000,” wrote John Paramo, the Acting Superintendent, in an email that went out to Washington Elementary families last week.
