Co. Springs couple’s home spray painted after burglary, elementary school also vandalized
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Colorado Springs police are investigating an alleged robbery and case of vandalism at a couple's home in the northeast corner of the city, while a next-door elementary school is also trying to track down suspects tied to vandalism from the same day.
Kathie and Rob Case have lived in their Seesaw Circle home for about 30 years. They say they've experienced a burglary of their car, and some minor mischief here and there, but have never had someone go as far as to steal property from their garage-- and also spray paint their home.
The initial burglary took place on Sunday, April 13, when the couple noticed that Rob's expensive cigar collection, with humidifiers, lighters, cutters, as well as tools from their garage, were all missing. Rob estimates it's as much as $2,500 worth of property.
"I was really upset. In fact, my husband was kind of saying, 'Why are you so upset?' And I'm like, 'Why are they targeting us?' I mean, my neighbors didn't have any problems," Kathie said.
She says they couldn't believe it, even adding that she may have unknowingly seen the suspects responsible for the burglary after they had done it, all while they were home.
"Sunday I was in the kitchen making Easter bread, and I looked out of my kitchen window and saw three boys out in front of our gate. That gate there. Two of them were wearing bandanas over their face, and they were taking pictures of another boy standing in front of our gate. He was holding up something that I didn't see," explained Kathie.
The Case's said they keep the door from their garage to their backyard propped open. They think that since the backyard leads down to a walkway with a gate, it may have prompted the burglars to sneak inside.
To make matters worse, Kathie says it was a few days later, on Thursday morning, that they discovered graffiti tags with spray paint on their home.
One tag reads the initials "NPK" on the side of the house, while two other tags on the garage siding read "We Back" and "CMB."
That same day, the Case's found that neighboring Penrose Elementary, within District 11, had suffered vandalism as well, with the same spray paint tags that they had.
"They had 'NPK' on the slides at the school and on the Panther [statue] down there, because they're the Penrose Panthers. And they also have graffitied all along the ditch, which there's a little bridge [on campus]," explained Kathie.
District 11 says their security team did put together a report of the vandalism on Friday, but have not developed any leads on suspects at this time.
Meanwhile, the Case's are hoping this is the last they face from these alleged criminals, having installed new security cameras with flood lights next to their back door to the garage.
"I'm checking constantly. Every morning I come out and check the house and make sure it's not painted again at night. We're really cautious about making sure everything's locked up really tight and we're going to install some more cameras. So I don't feel secure yet," said Kathie.
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