One man band?: Security guard allegedly stole $15K in musical instruments from Pa. school

(CBS) LANDSDOWNE, Pa. - A private security guard hired by a Philadelphia-area high school was arrested and charged with stealing $15,000 in musical instruments from the building, reports CBS Philly.

Cory Thompson, 54, of Philadelphia, surrendered to authorities on Tuesday. He was arraigned Wednesday morning in Upper Darby court on charges that include theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, burglary and conspiracy, according to the station.

An arrest warrant has been issued for a second suspect, police sources said.

In July, school officials discovered that 13 instruments had been taken from a music room at Penn Wood High School in Landsdowne. Only one of the stolen instruments was recovered, reports the station.

The theft occurred just three months after someone set fire to the school in April, forcing officials to close the building while they completed more than $4 million worth of restoration work.

After the fire, William Penn School District officials approved a contract with two private firms to provide 24/7 security coverage at the building. Thompson, police said, was an employee of one of those firms, according to CBS Philly.

The district, and particularly Penn Wood High School, has been plagued this year by vandalism and threats.

Over the summer, the troubles continued, with the theft from the music room in July and last month's theft of several thousand dollars' worth of football equipment from a storage room at Kerr Field in Yeadon, where the varsity team plays, reports the station.

Officials said that no credible information has been received regarding the football room theft or the arson, despite the promise of a $22,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the firebug.