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16-year-old charged with stealing school district laptops

Friday, Dec. 7, 2007

By BRITTINY DUNLAP
Villager Staff Writer

With the help of computer software, Dublin police were able to arrest a boy suspected of stealing two laptops owned by Worthington City Schools.

Bryan Matthew Wooten, 16, of 7316 Fall Creek Lane, on the northwest side of Columbus, was arrested at Worthington Kilbourne High School on Nov. 27 and charged with two counts of receiving stolen property, Dublin police said. The charge is a fifth-degree felony.

Dublin police said they arrested Wooten, a Kilbourne student, after one of the laptops was used to access the Internet.

Police were able to track the Internet use, Internet protocol address and downloaded files on the laptop through Computrace protective software loaded on the machine by Absolute Software Corp., a contractor for the Worthington district, said Mike Racey, public information officer for the city of Dublin.

The first theft occurred Nov. 10 when someone broke into a car belonging to teacher in the Worthington school district by smashing a window. The car was parked at AMC 18 Theatre, 6700 Village Parkway, Dublin.

"It's what we call a smash and grab," Racey said.

When Wooten was arrested at Kilbourne, 1499 Hard Road, Dublin police found a Worthington school district laptop in his backpack, according to a press release from the city of Dublin. The other district laptop was found in Wooten's home, Racey said.

Wooten has been released to a guardian and the case will be handled in juvenile court, Racey said.

A call to his residence for comment was not immediately returned.