Thieves steal 18 iPads from San Francisco School

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A San Francisco public school was targeted by four thieves Thursday, who looked and acted like parents and stole 18 iPads.

School starts on Monday and the teachers at Glenn Park School admit their guard was down. Some left their classrooms unattended and unlocked.

Security cameras mounted throughout Glen Park School in San Francisco captured images of the thieves. There were four total, but two walked away with one teacher's prized possessions, 18 iPads gifted to her by an outgoing teacher.

"Somebody spread joy and love to us and somebody took it from us," Fulton said. "A lot of negative things are happening. Fortunately, nobody got hurt," said Anna Fulton, a teacher at the school.

Glen Park School had just wrapped up a kindergarten parent orientation. There were also other parent/teacher meetings going on Thursday, so the school staff says seeing four young adults walk through the hallways did not appear unusual.

Jean Robertson, Glen Park School principal, said the thieves completely blended in with our community. "They looked like parents and their interactions were very appropriate to what a parent and teacher would interact about," Robertson said.

The principal says the security video shows the thieves trying to enter as many classrooms as they could.

Another teacher's wallet also went missing, but it's the iPads that will be tough to replace. About 70 percent of the school's students are on free or reduced lunch.

"For them to just take something that was such a huge gift to us I would hope that they would want to return them," said Amy Martin, a parent.

The school is now appealing to the community in hopes the iPads can be replaced through donations.