Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for December 16, 2006 WANNA MAKE A 1000 BUCKS?

Identify these two young vandals...who trashed A-J High School!

From the Southern Illinoisan...

Anna-Jonesboro offers reward to find vandals

BY CALEB HALE, THE SOUTHERN

ANNA - Local high school officials have a $1,000 reward up for anyone who can positively identify two vandals who did thousands of dollars in damage earlier this week.

Police have released security camera stills of two individuals, who were apparently caught all over the place as they ransacked Anna-Jonesboro Community High School early Wednesday morning.

Anna Police Chief Dale Foster said his department is seeking information on the names of the two males, who can be seen on camera busting several building and vehicle windows and stealing more than a thousand dollars in computer equipment. According to officials, the perpetrators don't appear to be current or former students of the high school.

Superintendent William Schildknecht said the school's security cameras basically caught the individuals in the act, which took place between 3 a.m. and 3:45 a.m. Wednesday.

"We caught them everywhere. They had no idea they were on camera, apparently, but the frustrating thing is finding out who they are," Schildknecht said. "If one of them walked into my office, I'd recognize them but I've never seen them before."

Neither has anyone else in the school, said Principal Jim Woodward, who's shown the security tapes to just about everyone on staff.

Woodward said it is clear from the tapes how the two men, who appear to be in their late teens or 20s, entered the building.

"One guy was carrying a large wrench," he said. "That seems to be how they got in, by breaking the glass on the front doors with it."

Schildknecht said from the way the two individuals progressed through the building, it appears they had no working knowledge of the A-J campus.

"They were just opening doors and seeing what they could find, but why did they pick A-J?" Schildknecht said.

Woodward said police were also able to get a couple of fingerprints from the crime scenes, despite the fact he said the perpetrators could be seen on camera covering their hands with their shirttails when trying to open doors.