OKC Daycare Targeted by Thieves

Hit three times in less than six months, an Oklahoma City daycare is footing the bill again after burglars broke into one of their transport vans.

On December 4, Kenyetta Richard, owner of Love To Learn Child Development Center near SW 59th and Penn, went to start the vehicle so she could drop her students off. When she turned the key, though, there was only silence.

“Popped the hood (to) give the battery a jump and there was no battery to jump."

She installed security lights and cameras, which caught the thieves in action. So far, the crooks have not been caught and Oklahoma City Police are looking to identity the couple who appear in the video. Richard believes different people are behind each burglary.

This wasn’t the first break-in to her vans. Richard said she's paid over $1,000 to repair and replace what thieves stole. In one case, she thought they were even trying to steal one of her vans.

“When they broke into the vehicle, we could see them on camera and they were struggling to get it started. He was unable to get out of the vehicle. He rolled down the window and leaped out of the window."

Overall, Richard said, these burglaries mean less money can go into the classroom.

“Every penny counts when you're in child care and the kids are what's important."

As for her spirit, Richard said she will persevere and thieves can’t steal that away from her.

“I just think that as long as the children are not in any harm, and I am getting them to school safe, things like that, I think, if it does start to effect that, then I think it will start to bother me."

The vans now directly face the cameras, and Richard said the next step could be buying alarms to scare thieves away.