Computers, pets stolen from community center

KENSINGTON (WPVI) -- Philadelphia Police are looking for those who broke into a community center in the Kensington section, stealing everything from computers to classroom pets.

The damage was discovered on Monday morning at Lighthouse Community Center as staffers arrived to get ready for Head Start preschool classes.

They found broken locks, drug paraphernalia, smashed vending machines and food missing from the pantry.

"We went through every room. Every single room had been opened up. If the door was locked, they broke the lock, opened up the door. Every locked cabinet, every locked closet," said executive director John Lavery.

The thieves took four of the 11 preschool's computers.

Even the classroom pets, raised by the children, were taken. Bunnies, hamsters and guinea pigs were all gone.

"They just opened up the cages and took the rabbits. Just devastating. It's discouraging and devastating," said Lavery.

The Lighthouse has served the Kensington community for over one hundred years, providing preschool programming and summer camp free of cost to hundreds of children year 'round.

They also provide meals to families and the homeless.

"It's just devastating that someone's going to come rob them, the same place they probably ate before," said Helga Gongora.

The staff believes a group of people broke a lock on the back gate and got in through a back window. They found dozens of syringes in the back alley. The feeling is that they were targeted by someone in this very same neighborhood they are trying to serve.

"It's just really hard to have that much work going in to securing the best rooms possible, the best experiences possible for our children, and then have it- oh my gosh. Where do you go from here?" said Lavery.

Since the Lighthouse Community Center runs largely off donations, staffers are hoping neighbors will answer the call to help them out. They ask donations be brought to the center during normal business hours.