LOS ANGELES, CA – Three people have been arrested after investigators said five Apple iMac computers and numerous keyboards were stolen during a burglary at Thousand Oaks High School, with the missing equipment later recovered during a search of a suspect’s home.
Ventura County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded July 24 to Thousand Oaks High School, located at 2323 N. Moorpark Road, after receiving a report of a burglary on campus.
An investigation by school resource officers determined that five Apple iMac computers and multiple keyboards had been taken from the school, according to authorities.
The stolen equipment was valued at approximately $2,700.
Investigators also estimated that damage caused to the school during the burglary would cost another $800 to repair.
Evidence collected during the initial investigation eventually gave detectives enough information to identify three suspected participants, authorities said.
The suspects were identified as Derek Leonhardt, 18, and two juveniles — one boy and one girl whose names were not released because of their ages.
Information released through the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office confirms the agency announced multiple arrests connected to a commercial burglary investigation at the North Moorpark Road campus.
Detectives subsequently went to Leonhardt’s residence and served a search warrant.
Authorities said investigators obtained additional evidence and statements from Leonhardt during the investigation.
Based on that information, Leonhardt was arrested on suspicion of felony burglary, felony conspiracy to commit a crime and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
He was booked Friday into the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility and was being held on $50,000 bail.
Investigators then turned their attention to the juvenile male suspect.
Detectives served another search warrant at his residence, where authorities said they contacted both the male juvenile and the female juvenile believed to have participated in the burglary.
The search led investigators to the missing school equipment.
All five Apple iMac computers and the keyboards reported stolen from Thousand Oaks High School were recovered from the residence, according to police.
Both juveniles were subsequently arrested for their alleged roles in the burglary.
Authorities did not release information about whether either juvenile was detained following the arrests or what specific allegations may ultimately be filed against them.
Officials also did not provide details about how the suspects allegedly entered the school, when during the day or night the burglary occurred, or exactly what evidence first led school resource officers to identify them.
The recovery of all five computers represented a significant development in the investigation because the equipment could be returned rather than remaining unaccounted for after the burglary.
The case also illustrates the role of school resource officers in investigations involving crimes committed on school campuses.
According to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer program, school resource officers are responsible for general law-enforcement duties on campuses while working within a community-policing model.
That role can include responding to incidents at schools, conducting investigations and coordinating with school administrators when criminal activity occurs on campus.
In the Thousand Oaks High School case, authorities said the school resource officers’ investigation produced evidence that allowed detectives to move from the initial burglary report to identifying suspects and serving residential search warrants.
The investigation ultimately resulted in the recovery of the stolen computers and the arrests of all three individuals believed to have been involved.
While the stolen electronics were valued at approximately $2,700, the financial impact of the burglary extended beyond the missing equipment because the school also sustained an estimated $800 in damage.
Authorities have not specified what part of the campus was damaged or what repairs will be required.
No injuries were reported in connection with the burglary.
Police have also not indicated that any additional suspects are currently being sought.
Leonhardt’s arrest and the arrests of the two juveniles represent allegations. The suspects have not been convicted of the offenses described by investigators.
The case remains under investigation by authorities in Thousand Oaks.
