Authorities Investigating Rash of School Burglaries

Pasco County Sheriff’s deputies suspect a “ring” of people are involved in a string of burglaries at schools in west Pasco County in which electronics were taken.

 There have been 13 burglaries at Pasco County Schools in the Port Richey/ and new Port Richey area between October 15 and March 17.  The schools hit were Chasco Middle, Chasco Elementary, Calusa Elementary and Ridgewood High.

The burglars mostly took electronics, such as MacBooks, iPods, Netbooks, iPhone chargers, digital cameras and projectors.

The losses total more than $172,000.  Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco and Pasco Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning said at a press conference Tuesday that the items stolen included school equipment funded by taxpayer money.

“It’s such a heinous crime,” Nocco said.

Pasco County deputies have arrested one person so far, and they say it broke open the case of the burglaries.

Alexis Rafael Ortiz, 19, was arrested in connection to a Feb. 27 burglary at Ridgewood High.  It’s believed there were four people involved in that burglary.

In that burglary, 37 iPods, 34 MacBooks and one iPad were stolen. The value of the loot stolen Feb. 27 totals $70,650.

“ It troubles me a great deal when we spend the tax dollars for this type of equipment, and we have these young men, I assume young men and women, that are breaking into our schools and really hindering what our job is, and that is to educate our kids,” Browning said.