During the past 72 hours, two Fresno City College instructors suffered office break-ins resulting in the loss of personal property.
Sociology department chairman and American Indian studies instructor Dr. Bernard Navarro suffered two break-ins in as many days while English composition department chairwoman Shana Munoz experienced a single office break-in.
Thieves stole several thousand dollars’ worth of Dr. Navarro’s computer equipment and sentimental indigenous artifacts.
“They stole my little Native American baskets; I had some bead work that they stole as well; I had a little jar that had to be maybe 60 years old,” said professor Navarro. “The next morning I get a phone call and sure enough, somebody had broken in again. This time they stole my computer. I have 10 years of work on that computer.”
Feeling somewhat violated, Navarro is currently clearing out his remaining objects of sentiment or value.
“I had some spiritual stuff in there. They left that behind, thank god,” said Navarro. “I’m taking all that stuff home. Anything of value is gone.”
Budget shortfalls have led to inadequate campus lighting during the evening time and these cuts are largely responsible for the recent lapses in effective security patrols.
“I talked to the evening sergeant. I told him it’s just pitch blackness. If anybody goes snooping around, they’re not going to be identified; they’re not going to be detected,” said Navarro. “Sure enough, they came back. They hit one window the first night and my other window last night.”
These office thefts appear to be a coordinated effort involving two or more individuals.
“There is a red strip of paint on my office door. There’s a red strip of paint on the other office door that was broken into as well. Somebody’s coming along, scoping stuff out and they’re marking it,” said Navarro. “I think it’s for somebody else. I’m having a hard time believing that they couldn’t remember where to go.”
Students or faculty with any information regarding these recent thefts should contact campus police immediately at 559-442-8201.
“They need to get people on campus out of here that don’t belong here,” said Navarro. “I hope they catch them. I really do.”
