Burglars strike 2nd elementary school in southeast LA County in 24 hours

DOWNEY, Calif. (KABC) -- An elementary school in Downey was burglarized late Monday evening, less than 24 hours after a similar crime at a nearby school in Whittier.

Monday's break-in was reported by a caller at 11:30 p.m. at Alameda Elementary School in the 8600 block of Alameda Street, according to the Downey Police Department.

Officers arrived to discover that burglars had forced their way into the school's cafeteria, leaving shards of broken glass at the scene. Forensics investigators were summoned to the scene to dust for fingerprints.

It was unclear what was taken.

On Monday morning, a television was stolen in a burglary that set off a classroom alarm Walter F. Dexter Middle School, located about 9 miles northeast of Alameda Elementary School.

That incident was reported about 2:45 a.m. at the campus in the 11500 block of Floral Drive, a spokesperson for the Whittier Police Department said.

No descriptions of the suspects in either break-in were available. Authorities declined to say whether the two crimes were connected.