I am so drained. I can't even write about the amazing weekend I had in Texas at the Les Mills Lonestar Mega Quarterly, taking 9 amazing classes. Today really sucked.
It all worked out in the end. But who knows what tomorrow will bring?
Today my iPhone was stolen. Not misplaced, but literally snatched off my table during class. I had it on the table as I was assessing students in the morning group because Cassie has been having trouble transitioning into 1st grade and Franklin leaves her crying each day in class. I keep it close to me always but especially during school now in case I get a call from school.
The Later Gator group arrived and I went outside to greet them, leaving my phone on the table. A dad asked me if I had a pen (he was on his cell phone and needed to jot something down). I gave him one, and he went into the classroom along with another parent. I stayed at the door, speaking to a parent, and the students went in and were all gathering on the carpet. The parents left, I went in and began my day with the students. When it was time for recess, I went to my table to get my phone and it was gone. I KNEW that I had left it there but went through the motions of asking the kids, looking in cubbies, backpacks, all over. My kids all got up and were looking for it, they all know what it looks like (my BodyPump red and black phone). Couldn't find it, went out to recess sick to my stomach, knowing it was stolen, and went to the office to let them know.
My principal came in, got my story and went to call the police to file a police report. One of our resident police officers came by and the principal watched my students so I could leave the room and give more details. He told me that since I don't have Mobile Me (which I am going to buy now) that chances are they would not recover but at least they had all the info just in case.
I was able to call AT&T to suspend my service. John (asst. principal sub) kept coming in to check on me, calling my phone, comforting me. After lunch, we were all back in the class and I told the students that if they went home and found my phone, and brought it back to me, I would give them a prize from the prize box. One little girl piped up "I saw a daddy take your phone off the table right there." I was a bit shocked because she hadn't said anything earlier. I asked her what she saw and she said she saw a dad take the phone. Well, I take pictures on the first day of school of the kids with their parents/families. I had just finished developing the last bunch last night. So I pulled her aside, showed her a "line up" of dads and asked her if one of them was the one who took the phone. She immediately pointed to the one that asked to use a pen in the morning. I called the office and the principal came to me and when I told her what happened, she called the police back in.
A different police officer showed, but he is one that is assigned to our school as our community liason. We went back and forth, he wanted to know if I was going to press charges, and all I wanted was to get my phone back. The whole thing is so uncomfortable because I taught this guy's older son, who is a 3rd or 4th grader now. I've known this family for several years, and I've known his daughter, who is in my class now, since she was 2. I knew he had had a rough life, based on different things I have perceived over the years. I just couldn't believe that this dad, who has never been anything but completely respectful, been on field trips with me, and always seemed very involved and concerned for his kids, could do something as blatant as steal from me, his children's teacher.
The officer got his information off the emergency card and discovered he was on probation and went to search his house but the dad wasn't home. The officer came back at the end of the day to accompany me to the gate as I dismissed and was going to approach him and give him a chance to come clean. Grandma came instead but called the dad to come to the school. I went to hide in my room because the whole thing was just getting too much and after school I received a phone call from the police that this dad lied over and over, but once they pressured him, admitted to stealing my phone. Because he was on probation, they got him for violating parole, searched him and found he was carrying 2 switchblades in his pocket (which is not allowed on school grounds) and was driving with a suspended license. Two other police officers arrived and removed him, calmly, and took him to jail. The mom was also with him, found with a switchblade herself, but they let her go because of the kids. The police followed the mom home, searched the apartment and found he had several cell phones there, found mine and brought it back to school. The cover was missing (the police actually went through 3 trash cans across the street but didn't dig too deep!) and when I got my phone back, found that he must have been trying to wipe it clean because although everything is still there on the phone, my wallpaper pictures were set back to factory settings.
I told them I would not press charges. I got my phone back. I am heartbroken because I have cared for his kids and I still can't believe he did this. It apparently was an impulse steal, but they know him because he has been in trouble over the years with the local police and is a known Sureno gang member. Again, I have never had one inkling of trouble with him and I suspect he must be totally embarrassed to have been caught stealing Mrs. Herrera's phone.
How to deal with it tomorrow? He is in jail so I don't have to see him. He is not allowed on school grounds anymore and I have to call 911 if I see him. His daughter very much needs to be in school so I hope they don't pull her. This will in no way affect how I instruct his child. But it will be uncomfortable to see whatever adult does the drop off and pick up. I had no choice but to report it to the school, it's out of my hands and I am not pressing charges. His other legal issues are his alone and have nothing to do with me. I know times are tough and he must have been desperate to take it to sell for cash. How do I feel about that?
Extremely saddened.
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