3 classrooms ransacked at Pomona school; iPads stolen

POMONA, Calif. (KABC) -- Police are investigating the second burglary case in less than a month at a Pomona elementary school. Officials say the damage was so bad that three classrooms were closed for at least two days.

"It basically looked like the Tasmanian devil went in there and turned everything upside down that they could," said Pomona Unified School District spokesperson Oliver Unaka. "This is done to students that are so innocent, that really tugs at our hearts."

It happened over the weekend at Madison Elementary School on the 350 block of W. Phillips Blvd. in Pomona. The three classrooms that were targeted are toward the back of the campus, where officials say pre-kindergarten classes are taught to children between three and four years of age.

"It is very upsetting," said parent Melissa Udave, who has two children who attended Madison Elementary School. "It hurts most because they're children."

Pictures posted on social media show the extent of the damage.

"It's very disturbing," said Udave. "Toys, their craft stuff, paper, glitter; thrown all over the walls, all over the sinks."

The school district says two iPads were stolen. The total extent of the damage is unknown, but a district spokesperson believes it to be in the hundreds of dollars worth.

"The reality is it looks a lot worse than it actually is," said Unaka.

Pomona police say detectives and school resource officers are following a number of leads. They say they are also investigating another burglary that took place at the same school over the holiday break in December.

Police say no arrests have been made. They are reviewing surveillance video and interviewing potential witnesses. Anyone with information for detectives is asked to call Pomona police at 909-620-2085.