Talo'fo'fo' Elementary School burglarized four times this week

Police are investigating four burglaries reported at one southern campus just this week. The Talofofo Elementary School tigers aren't letting the criminal activity stop the learning from happening daily. Still, the  principal is pleading to the public for help to stop the burglars in their tracks.

Class is in session at Talo’fo’fo’ Elementary.  The campus starting the year with an ‘A’ rating from health inspectors, but this week hasn’t been an easy one for them. “Unfortunately, we come to school excited getting ready to prepare for another day of learning and we come to see classrooms that there is forced entry," explained principal Erwin Manibusan.

He confirmed four burglary incidents this week. The first reported Tuesday; the latest was early Friday morning.

“Teachers get into their classrooms and they see their class in disarray with desk opening, personal belongings stolen and things like that so this is the fourth day in a row," he said.

A troubling result during their first few weeks back to school. The Guam Department of Education reported that money turned in for the student’s picture day was missing along with Bluetooth speakers and tools.

At least a dozen classrooms were hit, with the principal saying, “There’s been evidence of them getting into snacks and leaving their crumbs and trash on the floor.”

He is taking this time to ask the community for help to find the culprits, noting, “The teachers feel like you are really hurting the students. So when you come into any school on Guam and you break in, who are you hurting? You are hurting the students…This is going to be a community thing and we need to be hard and have the harshest consequences for anyone who does this. And if they are minors then we need to hold their parents accountable.”

The school is also working to strengthen the locks on the classroom doors.  “Obviously this is a small school and a small community. People know what’s going on. So if you know what’s going on report it, speak up because again you are hurting the students and whoever is doing this is it’s just disheartening and in the end it’s the students who are going to suffer," he said.

Anyone with information that could help them find the burglars is asked to call Guam Police or report it to Guam Crimestoppers.