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Some Pasadena school instruments recovered after music room theft
In this file photo, Eliot Middle School students perform during a field trip. Pasadena Unified recently had about $15,000 worth of musical instruments and equipment stolen from Marshall Fundamental Secondary School.
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Some Pasadena school instruments recovered after music room theft
Pasadena Unified School District officials were working with local police Monday to identify and recover musical instruments and equipment found last week that had been stolen by thieves.
About $15,000 worth of items, some belonging to students, disappeared from Marshall Fundamental Secondary School about a week ago.
Altadena Sheriff’s Station deputies discovered instrument cases and equipment, some marked with the district's name, in a 2001 Mercedes station wagon Tuesday. Police contacted district officials late Friday notifying them that items had been recovered by the sheriff's department.
Lt. Tracey Ibarra, Pasadena police press information officer, said school officials will need to confirm that the items belong to the school and determine whether others are still missing.
A woman who is the registered owner of the car was arrested on a matter unrelated to the theft, Ibarra said.
"There's no one in custody for the burglary," she said.
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Joel Lopez, the school's band director, went to the Altadena sheriff's offices Friday night with Pasadena police, but wasn't able to immediately identify the instruments and equipment, according to Adam Wolfson, the district's director of communications.
Ibarra said police are working with the sheriff's department and school officials to schedule another time for Lopez to view the found items.
"Nobody has seen the items," Wolfson said. "We’re waiting to hear from PPD and the sheriff’s department on when we’ll get the instruments."
Meanwhile, Pasadena Unified is still collecting donations as it waits to find out how many of the 50 stolen items have been recovered, according to Wolfson. More than $15,000 has been raised so far in an online fundraiser.
On Friday, the Altadena Sheriff's Station said in a news release that two deputies located equipment and music cases on Tuesday night marked "Property of Pasadena School District." The deputies found the items in a 2001 Mercedes station wagon parked on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena.
From the news release:
At approximately 9:10 PM, on Tuesday, March 3, 2015, Altadena Sheriff’s Station Deputies Collin Reddy and Kevin Villarreal saw a suspicious male Hispanic, described as 5’10 weight approximately 170 pounds, rummaging through a 2001 Mercedes Benz station wagon which was parked at the 2800 block of East Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena. They drove toward the man and asked him to walk toward them. He suddenly began running eastbound on Colorado Boulevard then northbound on Sunnyslope Avenue, and out of view. Deputies gave chase, but were unable to apprehend him. A containment was established but the suspect was not located.
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