CALIFORNIA STOLEN COMPUTER RECOVERED Police track down computer stolen from Palo Alto school - San Jose Mercury News:

Police track down computer stolen from Palo Alto school

By Will Oremus

Daily News Staff Writer
Posted: 06/24/2009 10:47:37 PM PDT
Updated: 06/24/2009 10:47:38 PM PDT

Palo Alto police on Wednesday tracked down a computer stolen from a Walter Hays Elementary School classroom earlier this month and arrested a young East Palo Alto man on suspicion of possessing stolen property.

The computer, valued at $2,000, was stolen from the classroom over the first weekend in June, along with a camera and an electronic hearing aid, police Agent Dan Ryan said. There were no obvious signs of forced entry, and police don't know how the burglar got into the building.

An investigation led to a search warrant for a house on Buchanan Court in East Palo Alto, where officers found the computer, Ryan said. They arrested 18-year-old George Tovo, a recent high school graduate, and booked him into the Santa Clara County Main Jail.

"He was using it for his personal e-mail," Ryan said.

He added that Tovo may or may not be a suspect in the actual burglary. Police are still investigating it.

Authorities ask that anyone with information about the case call Detective Brian Philip at 650-329-2408.