Thieves strike on consecutive nights to steal computers, equipment from nonprofit

Burglars broke into Stone Soup Fresno, a nonprofit serving the Asian-American neighborhood west of Fresno State, on consecutive nights last week, making off with thousands of dollars in computers and other electronics.

Tim Nightingale, Stone Soup’s executive director, said thieves struck on Jan. 8 and 9, taking little on the first night but returning the next evening. In addition to multiple desktop computers, the losses included speakers, monitors, television sets, laptop computers, a printer, projectors, cameras and tablets. Nightingale estimated the total loss at between $10,000 and $15,000.

“Our sole purpose is bettering the lives of our children,” Nightingale said. Stone Soup provides services to about 150 children up to age 5 from the surrounding El Dorado Park neighborhood. The break-ins, he said, are “a violation of our space ... and our efforts.”

Fresno Police Department Capt. Dennis Bridges said surveillance video from security cameras indicates that the suspects are two men believed to be in their 20s or 30s, white or Hispanic, who had a small white dog with them. “There are people around them who know about this, no doubt about it,” Bridges said. “That’s a lot of property that’s moving around.”

The nonprofit has insurance that is expected to cover the replacement costs for the equipment that was stolen, but the information stored on the computers – databases, lesson plans for the children and more – will need to be created again for the agency to continue its mission.

Bridges and Stone Soup officials said they hope people will come forward with tips to help catch the thieves. Anyone with information can contact Valley Crime Stoppers at 559-498-STOP (456-7867) or valleycrimestoppers.org to provide tips anonymously.

An account has been set up at Premier Valley Bank for donations to help replace the stolen equipment. Contributions can be made at the bank at 255 E. River Park Circle Drive, Suite 180, or at Stone Soup Fresno, 1345 E. Bulldog Lane.

This story was originally published January 19, 2018 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Thieves strike on consecutive nights to steal computers, equipment from nonprofit."