Santa Rosa police seek help finding stolen school property
Jan 24, 2025
(BCN) -- Santa Rosa police are asking for public assistance in finding property stolen from a city high school that had been burglarized multiple times.
Police said stolen school property from Piner High School includes a red-colored 4-wheel hand-pull utility trailer, a large REI bag full of science textbooks, four Apple iPads, and an Apple MacBook Air.
According to Santa Rosa police, Piner High School was burglarized at least thrice in the fall of 2024.
"It was believed the suspect would try unlocked doors or force entry into custodial closets and classrooms to steal tablets, computers, tools, and other items of value. Using surveillance images, detectives identified a person of interest; however, they lacked sufficient probable cause for an arrest at that time," police said.
Piner High School had its latest burglary case on Monday, when officials reported that laptops, school textbooks, and tablets were stolen from one of the campus classrooms. Surveillance footage allegedly identified the suspect as Daniel Vanzant, a 52-year-old transient from Santa Rosa.
(Santa Rosa Police Department)(Santa Rosa Police Department)(Santa Rosa Police Department)(Santa Rosa Police Department)
Vanzant is also suspected of being involved in the previous burglaries at the school.
Police on Tuesday found him, brought him into custody, and interviewed him. Detectives reportedly learned then that Vanzant had been loitering daily on Piner High School grounds after hours. They also learned the stolen property may have been hidden in and around Youth Community Park, or the skate park at 1701 Fulton Road.
Vanzant was arrested and booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of burglary and vandalism related to three of the reported burglaries.
Police on Wednesday searched the park for the stolen school property but came up with nothing.
Anyone with knowledge on the whereabouts of any of the school property is asked to contact police at (707) 528-5222 and refer to case numbers 24-8498, 24-10428, 25-861.
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