A man and woman are facing charges after police said they burglarized Miami-Dade County Public School buses on multiple occasions, stealing tablets used to help students with special needs arrive at their correct locations.
Monica Rodriguez, 21, and Samuel Day, 24, were arrested Wednesday on charges of grand theft and dealing in stolen property, arrest reports said. Day also faces charges of burglary, cocaine possession, and carrying a concealed weapon.
According to the reports, the burglaries happened at the Miami-Dade County Public Schools South Transportation Center in Florida City.
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Day was a security guard who worked at the depot, the reports said.
One burglary happened around 1 a.m. Monday and involved 27 Samsung tablets being stolen. The next day, 14 tablets were stolen in a burglary at the same location, police said.
The tablets are used to ensure that special needs children are delivered to their proper guardian, police said. The loss to the school district was estimated to exceed $20,000, officials said.
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“Ensuring that they’re dropped off at the right locations, many times these students have limited communication ability, and it’s important for them to have this technology on the school buses," said Miami-Dade Schools Police Chief Edwin Lopez. "So as we make advancements, unfortunately, we have people who prey and they don’t care what the situation is, even if it impacts those students.”
After the burglaries, detectives searched OfferUp and found similar tablets had been placed for sale by Rodriguez, the reports said.
Detectives arranged to buy two tablets for $80 each, and when Rodriguez and Day showed up to complete the sale, the tablets were confirmed to be the ones that were stolen, the reports said.
Both were arrested, and a search of the car they were in turned up a loaded handgun and a baggie of cocaine, the reports said.
"It’s horrible, and unfortunately, greed takes over and they’re focused on the quick buck, to make the quick dollar," Lopez said.
Rodriguez and Day were booked into jail. Attorney information wasn't available.
