WASHINGTON C.H. — Locker room break-ins marred the conclusion of what had been an exceptional night of homecoming football festivities at Washington High School Friday night.
Sometime during the second half of a tightly-contested game between the Blue Lions and London High School, a person or persons broke into the fieldhouse locker room and the fieldhouse located at the high school, according to police reports. Shortly after the game ended, players and coaches came back to the fieldhouse locker room adjacent to Gardner Park and discovered that some of their belongings had been stolen.
At approximately 10:05 p.m., the Washington Police Department was contacted to report the larceny. Assistant coach Marlin Ellis told officers he has a routine of locking the fieldhouse after the players leave at halftime and go back onto the field for the start of the second half. Ellis said he followed this same routine on Friday night.
A preliminary list of items stolen from the student-athletes included: at least eight iPhones, two pairs of headphones, numerous clothing items and cash, according to reports.
“We are keeping in contact with the police to see if there are any leads and working with the parents to get a comprehensive list of items that were stolen from our students,” said Washington City School District Superintendent Tom Bailey, who was in attendance for Friday night’s homecoming game. “We’re still assessing the extent of the theft. Our coaches followed the same procedure and protocol that night as they always do.”
Prior to the team departing the fieldhouse on Friday, police informed the student-athletes that if a phone was stolen from them, then they should attempt to locate their International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. If they discovered that credit or debit cards had been stolen, they were advised to monitor account statements and to report any fraudulent transactions.
After the team left the fieldhouse, it was discovered that the locker room at the high school had been entered as well, according to reports. A student’s school-issued laptop was stolen, police said.
The investigation is ongoing.
“Hopefully as the word gets out, information is relayed to the police that assists in their investigation,” said Bailey.
Anyone with information concerning these break-ins should contact the Washington Police Department at 740-636-2375.
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