Cell Phones Stolen From Students by Women Asking For 'Help'

Dr. Stephen Hanke posted the following letter to parents via the District Facebook age on May 20--

Dear Parents/Guardians:

We would like you to be aware of an important safety issue that has occurred this past week near some of our schools. We are sharing this information with parents and staff district-wide as students in all grade levels carry cell phones with them before and after school. 

In several separate incidents near our high schools and Wells Middle School, students were approached by two African-American females in their late thirties, who asked if they could use their phone to contact their child because their own cell phone had died. It was reported that they were in a white "beat up" car in one instance, and in a light tan/champagne colored CLS550 Mercedes in another instance. The suspects pulled up in their car next to the student(s) and have also approached students on foot. The student(s), wanting to be helpful, got their phone out and one of the females snatched it out of their hands.

These incidents have been reported to Dublin Police and they report that these kinds of thefts are occurring in several bay area cities. Dublin Police urge any student who is approached by a stranger to not engage in conversation, to leave immediately, dial 911, and report the incident to the police. If they are close to their school, students should return to the school office immediately.

This is a safety issue. Please tell your students to be cautious of strangers asking for assistance. While we want our students to be good citizens, we also want them to be safe and listen to their instincts. If you have any questions or concerns please contact your school principal.

Thank You,
Dr. Stephen Hanke
Superintendent of Schools

Editor's Note: Patch will update this story as we get more information.