CALIFORNIA (UPDATE) STOLEN COMPUTERS RETURNED TO SCHOOL LAPD recovers 25 of 61 stolen laptops for Van Nuys school - LA Daily News:

LAPD recovers 25 of 61 stolen laptops for Van Nuys school

If ever a school went from despondency to elation, it's St. Elisabeth Catholic School in Van Nuys.

On Wednesday, before dozens of clapping, cheering students and teachers, LAPD burglary detectives returned 25 of the 61 laptop computers stolen from the campus last month.

The rest are probably lost forever, smuggled across the Mexican border and sold, said Detective Steven Krauss of the Van Nuys Division.

But the school has more than made up for the loss - thanks to the community and local companies like Southern California Edison, which donated 60 refurbished laptops.

"From a man off the street who walked in and said he wanted us to have a new laptop he had just bought to a major donation from Rick Caruso (developer and former Police Commission president), it's the happiest possible ending to this story," Principal Barbara Barreda said Wednesday.

As I wrote in my Aug. 27 column, this isn't a well-to-do school. Almost 65 percent of the 240 students qualify for free lunches because their parents are living at or below the poverty level.

They are the sons and daughters of gardeners, janitors, factory workers and street vendors. It took months of rummage sales, pancake breakfasts and carne asada lunches for parents to raise the $467 cost of each laptop.

When thieves struck just before the start of school, they deprived the students of the 21st century education these computers were going to offer.

"These kids are without the resources or benefits most kids have, and the computers were going to give them great opportunities and a chance to fulfill their dreams," Caruso said.

Between the 25 computers detectives recovered and private donations, all students from grades 3 through 8 will now get laptops they will take with them when they move on to the next level.

None of the burglary detectives can remember getting that kind of cheering, clapping reception when returning stolen property.

"It makes you feel pretty good about the job you're doing," Detective Krauss said.

These detectives should feel better than pretty good. They did some great police work to get those computers back.

They tracked one of the laptops to a Whittier resident, who had bought it without knowing it was stolen.

From there, they got search warrants for a East Hollywood computer store where three more of the stolen computers were found through serial numbers. The owner was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property.

They then uncovered a major fencing operation, and recovered 22 more of the stolen laptops along with other stolen electronics in Tijuana and the Otai Mesa border crossing.

And they're not done.

"We're still looking for the thieves who stole the laptops from the school," said Detective Mike O'Connor.

As the computers were wheeled onto the school grounds in a little red wagon Wednesday, surprised students began to cheer.

"We didn't think we'd ever get them back," said one student, Tatiana Claycamp.

Thanks to some good police work and dozens of donors who care about your education, you did, kids.

Dennis McCarthy's column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.