iPods, iPhones stolen at Mira Costa
About 11 Mira Costa High School students, most of them players on the freshman football team, had belongings stolen from them in the boy’s locker room on campus in recent weeks. The stolen items included iPods, iPhones, wallets and cash, according to an e-mail thread among parents.
The parents were concerned about the thefts and reported the matter to the Manhattan Beach Police Department. A student and parent were able to use the phone’s technology to track the student’s iPhone to a physical location and noticed that the phone was repurposed under a different name.
The emails were exchanged over a 24-hour time period late last week as the group of parents pieced together the nature of the thefts.
MBPD detective John Loy said that a juvenile was arrested for theft on Friday, but could not confirm the details of the theft.
This is at least the second theft incident that has occurred on campus in recent months. In an email to a parent, Loy said that he was made aware of thefts from the female locker room one month ago, but the thefts were never officially reported. “The school doesn’t necessarily file a police report because it is the victim’s responsibility to file the police report. I have not received any theft reports over the past two months regarding thefts from the boy’s locker room,” Loy wrote, adding, “The best remedies for theft at the school is never leave any items alone, always use lockers and locks and leave valuable items at home if you can.”
One parent suggested that the school should install cameras outside the entrances and exits to the locker rooms.