Prince George's Police Searching for Man Who Stole From School Vending Machines
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Wednesday, September 9, 2009; 7:45 PM
Prince George's County police said Wednesday that they are searching for a man who has broken into six schools and a school bus parking lot in recent weeks to steal money from vending machines.
The burglar strikes in the middle of the night, police said, and school officials typically arrive the next morning to find their candy and soda machines vandalized. No food items are missing -- just the cash and coins the machines held, said Cpl. Clinton Copeland, a police spokesman.
"It's possible this dude could be a drug addict and he needs quick money and this is a quick way to do it," Copeland said. "Or he could be a person who just got fired from a vending machine company and he decides to go destroy the machines. You never know."
The man has been caught on surveillance cameras, Copeland said. He described the burglar as a white male, 40 to 45 years old, 5 feet 7 inches tall and 120 to 130 pounds, with a thick mustache and beard.
The man uses a pickax to vandalize the machines, police said, and on one occasion a witness saw him wielding it in a school lobby.
Police said the man has robbed seven school system locations on 11 occasions: Crossland High School, Aug. 17; Friendly High School, Aug. 22, 23, 26 and 27; Largo High School, Aug. 30; Gwynn Park High School, Aug. 31; Gwynn Park Middle School and Forestville Military Academy, Saturday; Crossland High, Sunday; and the bus parking lot at Surrattsville High School, Wednesday.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-8477 (TIPS).
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