Autism center is robbed in Colorado Springs

An agency that works with autistic children is recovering from a low blow. Students’ iPad’s and laptops are gone after thieves broke into the Alpine Autism Center in Colorado Springs. Now families, teachers and police are asking for the public’s help.

“I was devastated, I was mad, I was angry. The way the kids communicate with us was gone, just taken,” said Jenny Welch, a lead therapist at the Alpine Autism Center.

“Some of the kids are nonverbal, they use the devices for speech or communication,” said Todd McLane, with Alpine.

“Somebody broke in overnight and stole them, some sneaky crooks stole them,” said Nathan, a young student with autism.

“How low can you go, stealing from kids with autism?” said Welch.

Unfortunately this isn’t Alpine Center’s first brush with loss.

“Alpine has gone through the Waldo Canon Fire, then the flooding which displaced the center for six months,” said McLane.

Now the center is recovering from the recent theft. Officers say two juveniles are responsible.

“They had climbing equipment, they came up on the roof and actually repelled down into the building,” said McLane.

The thieves even left a few notes behind.

“One of them said no hard feelings. Another one said, no bad deed gone unpunished,” said McLane.

The thieves broke in again the very next night, this time taking cash, credit cards and computer systems. Thanks to community support the staff is able to order new iPad’s, but not enough to cover the loss.

Anyone who has recently purchased an iPad, a Dell laptop or desktop computer through a website is asked to contact the Colorado Springs Police Department at 444-7000.