Santa Rosa police seek public help finding property stolen from Piner High
Santa Rosa police are asking for public assistance in finding property stolen from a city high school that had been burglarized multiple times.
According to a post on the Santa Rosa Police Department Facebook page earlier this week, the stolen school property from Piner High School includes a red-colored 4-wheel hand-pull utility trailer, a large REI bag full of science textbooks, four Apple iPads, and an Apple MacBook Air.
According to Santa Rosa police, Piner High School was burglarized at least three times in the fall of 2024.
"It was believed the suspect would try unlocked doors or force entry into custodial closets and classrooms to steal tablets, computers, tools, and other items of value. Using surveillance images, detectives identified a person of interest; however, they lacked sufficient probable cause for an arrest at that time," police said.
Piner High School had its latest burglary case on Monday, when officials reported that laptops, school textbooks, and tablets were stolen from one of the campus classrooms. Surveillance footage allegedly identified the suspect as Daniel Vanzant, a 52-year-old transient from Santa Rosa.
Vanzant is being suspected as also involved in the previous burglaries in the school.
Police on Tuesday found him, brought him into custody, and interviewed him. Detectives reportedly learned then that Vanzant had been loitering daily in Piner High School grounds after hours. They also learned the stolen property may have been hidden in and around Youth Community Park, or the Skate Park, at 1701 Fulton Road.
Vanzant was arrested and booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of burglary and vandalism related to three of the reported burglaries.
Police on Wednesday searched the park for the stolen school property but came up with nothing.
Anyone with knowledge on the whereabouts of any of the school property is asked to contact police at (707) 528-5222 and refer to case numbers 24-8498, 24-10428, 25-861.