Police searching for school break-in suspect

Kosciusko County Sheriff's deputies are searching for a man they suspect broke into Tippecanoe Valley middle school overnight.

Police say that the school's head custodian called in the incident around 6a.m. Monday morning. 

The school's surveillance system captured some pretty clear images of the suspect in the building.

School officials believe the individual tried to steal cash, prescription medication and musical instruments, but the items were kept in secure areas.

"We've learned over the years that when this stuff happens we try to be proactive rather than reactive," said Superintendent Brett Boggs.

Boggs says that although the intruder appeared to be long gone by the time students and staff arrived to start the day, safety is still at the forefront.

"That's always a first priority for us, making sure that our students and staff are safe," said Superintendent Boggs. "You always are concerned about someone leaving something that could cause harm to kids so they swept the building to make sure it was safe."

"I think there's a deep concern when it comes to the safety of children when you look at some of the things that occurred across the nation," said Sgt. Chad Hill of the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department. "So every cavity and crevice of that building was checked to make sure that the suspect wasn't still in the building."

Hill says that although police haven't been able to identify the suspect yet, they're still hopeful that someone in the community can.

"We believe that individual is relatively close to the area or an adjoining county," said Sgt. Hill. "The nature of it doesn't look like it's a crime that someone would come a long distance for."

Anyone with information about the break-in is encouraged to contact the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department or Crime Stoppers. 

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