Thieves Steal Fairfield School Band Instruments

FAIRFIELD (CBS13) — School band instruments worth thousands of dollars are now gone from a Fairfield high school.

Fairfield Police say sometime over the weekend, dozens of band instruments were stolen from Armijo High School. Students first noticed the missing instruments on Monday morning.

Fairfield police say someone somehow made their way into the band room and stole dozens of band instruments. Band students say they are devastated by the theft.

"I came in Monday, fifth period, I looked in my locker, it wasn't there," said Zachary Johnson.

He didn't know what to think at first, but when other band members at Armijo High noticed their instruments were also missing, Johnson knew someone had taken his school-issued saxophone.

"We just got robbed," said Johnson.

"I've been emotional over the last couple of days," said Pedro Sanchez, another victim of the theft.

Sanchez is taking the theft pretty hard. His $3,000 saxophone given to him by his mom is a treasured piece he fears he may never see again.

"Who would do something like that?" Sanchez asked.

Fairfield police say the thief, or thieves, stole dozens of instruments worth thousands of dollars. Band season at Armijo High is set to begin in a few weeks, and members are now wondering if they'll even have a season this year.

"It's disheartening to me to think that somebody is stealing from our students. We will be working with our insurance company to replace all the instruments that were stolen," said Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District spokeswoman Sheila McCabe.

The school district is stepping in to help the 150 band students.

McCabe says she's renting instruments from a local music company and working with other high schools in the district that can lend some of their instruments to the band.

"We are doing anything and everything we can to ensure we get the instruments back in our student's hands," McCabe said.

"We don't know what's gonna happen," said one concerned band student.

For now, band members are practicing using backup instruments provided by the school.

It's not the same for Sanchez, whose music has been silenced.

"The one thing I can make music with is now gone," said Sanchez.

McCabe says she plans to bring the rental instruments to Armijo High by Wednesday.

Anyone who has information on the theft is urged to call the Fairfield Police Department at (707) 428-7600.