Thieves break into Santa Barbara school, steal thousands

Thieves broke into Notre Dame School in Santa Barbara and stole thousands in charitable donations for the school’s annual auction.

According to school principal Christina Stefanec, thieves broke into the school located at 33 E Micheltorena St. either late Friday night or early Saturday morning.

The suspects attempted to gain entry to a number of classrooms but were initially unsuccessful. The thieves eventually gained access to a classroom that was connected to the school’s main office.

In the main office they rifled through files and broke into a number of locked cabinets. In one of those locked cabinets were checks and cash donations given to the school to help fund the school’s annual Auction Gala. The auction helps cover tuition expenses for some students.

An estimated $3200 was stolen in the form of cash and checks. Stefanec said no school hardware was stolen.

Notre Dame School is a private Catholic school that services children from pre-school to eighth grade. Their annual Auction Gala is celebrating its 30th year. More information about the gala can be found here.

Anyone with information about the burglary should contact the Santa Barbara Police Department at (805) 897-2300.