Thief breaks into Detroit daycare twice, stealing toys, clothes

DETROIT - A thief has broken into a Detroit daycare not once, but twice.

He's been caught on camera stealing everything he can get his hands on, from children's coats to a microwave. The owner has shared the surveillance video to put a stop to his crime spree.

Two Day's Child Learning Center is a place where young kids go to learn their 1, 2, 3's and A, B, C's. But one suspect came with a different plan.

"Oh my God. Is this for real? Who would break into a daycare?" asked Antoinette Florence, the owner of the daycare.

Florence says the first break in took place on Saturday between 4 and 6 a.m. She says the crook broke a window to get inside, and what he did after that was caught on surveillance video.

He is seen taking cleaning items and an easel. Then he goes into the kitchen, puts a cigarette into his mouth, takes a bottle of soda, boxes of cereal, and other food items.

The owner says he also took toys and clothing belonging to the kids.

"It's not so much what he took from center," she said. "But what he took from children that bothered me the most."

As the suspect was leaving, he was seen by a parent dropping their child off at the center.

"The parent is the one who noticed the guy was in the alley with the daycare's items, and she called police," said Florence.

Florence worked with investigators and closed the daycare to get things back in order, but when she got home that evening, she pulled up the daycare's surveillance video and could not believe her eyes.

"Twelve hours later, he comes back. He gets in fridge, drinks milk, loads up everything we have in kitchen," she said.

Florence called police who came to the scene, but a family member beat them there.

"He was able to chase him out of center, but he jumped barb wire fence and got away," said Florence.

Florence says she is making security changes at the daycare, but admits the experience is scary.

"We need him to be caught," she said.

As this police investigation continues, the owner of the daycare is making a plea to anyone who recognizes this suspect to call police immediately so he can't commit any more crimes like this again.