Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Band-Aid Blade: Mike Sunseri, chairman of Del Mar High School's Industrial Technology Department, sits near a 10-inch chop saw that the Campbell Union High School District provided to the school's woodshop program after its own was stolen, along with $3,500 worth of other shop equipment.
A burglary at Del Mar High School wounds its construction program
The woodshop and drafting classes are in need of new tools
By Erin Mayes
A burglar is still at large after making off with almost $4,000 of Del Mar High School's woodshop equipment a little more than a month ago.
Mike Sunseri, the only teacher in the school's Industrial Technologies Department, said it took the school years to obtain all of the tools that were stolen the weekend of Sept. 29.
Some of the materials that were taken include two videocassette recorders, two televisions, a 10-inch chop saw, a table-top band saw and a dual sander. Sunseri said that when he noticed that dozens of items were missing on the early morning of Sunday, Sept. 30, a box had been filled with all of the hand tools in the shop, as though the intruder intended to make off with those as well.
"It's someone that knew the shop, knew the program," Sunseri said. "It's someone affiliated with the school somehow."
Sunseri, who teaches woodshop, drafting and construction courses, said he believes there were probably at least two people involved in the burglary because some of the equipment was quite heavy.
He said he also believes that whoever the suspects are, they probably scouted out the classroom several times beforehand. Sunseri and other witnesses recall seeing a white car with an unknown male driver in the school's parking lot several times before the crime occurred.
Del Mar Principal Lisa Udell said the burglars attempted to disable the alarm by smashing the sensor devices and keypads, but it still went off, alerting the school's alarm company.
The standard procedure at the time was for the alarm company to notify an official in the Campbell Union High School District, who would then decide whether the police should be called. In this case, the official, who was not named, decided not to contact police because he did not believe a crime had occurred.
"Our alarm company is now instructed to call the police," Udell said. "We've taken care of that end of it."
Sunseri said there are still no suspects and that the school is hoping the public can assist it in tracking down the burglars by offering a $500 reward. He said police investigated the crime but told him the surfaces that were touched, such as carts the burglars used to wheel equipment to a car, do not have surfaces that reveal fingerprints easily.
With students in the middle of projects, Sunseri said his classes have been slowed down. The class may be able to stay on track thanks to a donation of a 10-inch chop saw from the district and another donation from a parent of a table-top band saw and gift certificates to Home Depot.
Sunseri said the school has had other burglaries during his six years teaching there.
A theft in the locker room, in which the intruders used bolt cutters, could be considered mostly vandalism, he said. However, a couple of years ago, another burglar stole several expensive items from a computer room on campus.
The woodshop and construction classes are still in need of power tools that are in good working order. Sunseri said anyone who would like to contribute supplies to the program or donate money should call him at 408.298.0260, ext. 3249.
Campbell, California
