CAMPUSES BURGLARIZED, VANDALIZED.

Byline: Carol Rock Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Several high school and junior high campuses were burglarized over the weekend in what authorities said was the continuation of criminal activity that started over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Lt. Bill Weiss of the Santa Clarita Valley station said there was ``no rhyme or reason'' as to the selection of the five schools hit between Friday night and Monday morning.

``We're looking at the same types of break-ins, prying off the top of the air conditioning vent, or a window or prying hinges off a door,'' he said. ``It's reasonable to assume it might be a group of people, but we're still investigating.''

``It's stealing from the students, which is so demoralizing,'' lamented Saugus High Principal Bill Bolde, whose campus was hit between midnight and 4 a.m. Saturday and again Sunday evening. Sunday's break-in was the third in the last four weeks.

``The first time, they put a shovel through the window of the student store and took some candy and chips, but didn't do too much damage. But this morning, they came back and took a computer monitor.

``I just don't know what these kids were after.''

Bolde said it could have been worse. There are two safes in the student store; one that is used by the staff was left open after Friday night's break-in so anyone would know it was empty, but another, older safe that hadn't been opened ``in years'' was destroyed.

``They got it open,'' Bolde said. ``They sure went to a lot of trouble to get nothing.''

At Rio Norte Junior High, the glass of the gymnasium door was shattered and damage was done to the doorjamb of the student store.

At nearby West Ranch High School, offenders broke into the student store by breaking a window. Once inside, they smashed a glass cabinet and threw a hammer into a computer monitor.

The intruders got away with $120 in cash, a computer monitor and a Palm Pilot from the student store at Valencia High School, while damaging the cash register. The student store at La Mesa Junior High School in Canyon Country was also vandalized.

The recent break-ins follow a spate of similar incidents over the Thanksgiving holiday where Hart and Canyon high schools were vandalized. According to Weiss, the amount of damage exceeded the amount of money or items taken by the intruders at those locations.

``I'm just surprised nobody heard anything,'' Weiss said.

Detectives are continuing their investigation of the incident. Anyone with information is asked to call the Santa Clarita station at [phone].

Carol Rock, [phone]

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com