MASSACHUSETTS (UPDATE) MORE STOLEN COMPUTERS RECOVERED Police recover more stolen laptops - SalemNews.com, Salem, MA:

Published: March 06, 2009 05:05 am ShareThis PrintThis
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Police recover more stolen laptops
By Bruno Matarazzo Jr.
Staff Writer

SALEM — Detectives recovered more Apple laptops stolen from Salem High School last month, and those who have the remaining laptops can return them to police, "no questions asked."

The 10 laptops police recovered are in "good shape" and were not "beaten up," said Salem Detective Sgt. Stephen Bona. The laptops were returned to the school.

Bona urged those who have the stolen laptops to return them to police. The laptops have "Salem Public Schools" engraved in the back.

"We'd take them back," Bona said. "Our goal is to get back as many computers as we can to the school."

Twenty-five laptops were stolen from Salem High School on Feb. 12. Police arrested two high school students, Christopher Decker, 18, of 25 Briggs St., Salem, and Stephen Jenkins, 18, of 5 Pond St., Salem, and two other men, Anil Nevin, 22, of 77 Summer St., Salem, and Matthew Ryan, 20, of 242 Asbury St., Hamilton.

The four pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges of breaking and entering with intent to commit a felony, malicious destruction of property, and felony larceny. Jenkins was also charged with receiving stolen property. The four will be back at Salem District Court on April 29 for a pretrial hearing.

The Feb. 12 break-in remains under investigation, as does another high school break-in in December 2008, when 16 laptops were stolen. Together, Salem High School has had 41 laptops stolen.

On Jan. 31, there was a break-in at Beverly High School and the thieves attempted steal 30 laptops but were unsuccessful. The laptops were found in recycling bins elsewhere on school property.

Salem detectives are also working with Beverly police to investigate if the break-ins are connected.

"I don't believe (the Salem suspects) are involved in the Beverly break-in," Bona said.

Court documents in the Feb. 12 case show that the two students got inside the school at night by taping over a lock near the rear loading dock.

Nevin and Ryan dropped off the students and then went back to pick them up after getting a call from one of them minutes later, the documents say.

The 25 Apple laptops stolen at that time were part of a set used in classrooms, according to Salem High School Principal David Angeramo.

The computers were new to the school this year, purchased as part of the high school renovation project, which included new technology and hardware.

Salem detectives can be reached at 978-745-9700.