The Albuquerque Bilingual Academy was vandalized recently, and video evidence caught five young adults in the act.
According to a report by KOB4, the crime is not being considered a robbery by the school, but rather an act of vandalism by repeat offenders.
The video of the incident shows five people forcing their way into a gate at the academy over a weekend, and the damage was found May 22. There was paint splattered all over the walls and floors, profanity written on the walls and storage closets, and much more.
“We do not believe that it was actually a robbery, it was purely vandalism and destruction,” Kyle Hunt, the school’s operations director, told KOB4.
Hunt added that the vandals broke in May 21 at about 4 p.m. and the crime was discovered the day, a Monday, when school officials opened the school. The alarm company found that that the suspects accessed four of the seven buildings of the school.
The damage was done in the bathroom, as well as the cafeteria where one of the suspects was seen smashing watermelons with a stick. There was also damage in the music building, where destroyed instruments and equipment were found. The video shows that all five young adults forced their way in through the gate.
“It’s really frustrating and it’s a lot of anger too," Hunt told KOB4. "Kids looking to just destroy things just because they think it’s fun, not realizing just how much it affects our community and the community we’re trying to serve.”
Hunt said that the district has contracted a cleaning company, and employees are helping to clean up the campus, resecure broken doors and fix windows that were smashed. The damage has forced students to learn remotely.
The school was also vandalized in April, and officials think that the damage was done by the same suspects.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Albuquerque Police Department at (505) 242-COPS.