Oct 23, 2009 8:04 pm US/Eastern
N.Y. Student Goes High-Tech To Catch Locker Thief
Fed Up With Her Money Being Stolen, Tiana Rapp Set Up A Surveillance Camera And Busted A School Employee
SELDEN, N.Y. (CBS) ―
Technology helped a Long Island teen turn the tables on a thief in her high school – and police said the criminal turned out to be a school staff member.
Just off the bus and greeted by her proud mom was Newfield High Senior and amateur detective Tiana Rapp.
This 17-year-old's sleuthing and resourcefulness led police to a 54-year-old school employee, hall monitor Linda Cubano, who police said admitted to breaking into students' lockers at least 20 times in two years.
"People have been thanking me all day," Rapp said.
Police said the confession was the direct result of hidden camera footage that Tiana got after her locker was broken into twice.
"I found that $150 was missing out of my gym locker then another time $40 was missing," Tiana said.
Here's how she did it. She placed her camera in a locker across the hall from her own. Within 15 minutes of hitting the record button she got the money shot.
"She goes into the locker with a key. She goes through everything in the locker," Tiana said.
"We had no evidence, leading to nothing. Then she had an idea she thought would work and it did," said Suffolk County Police Lt. Michael S. Murphy.
There was no answer at Cubano's door on Friday. She was charged with petty larceny and released. Police said she told them her husband lost his job and she stole to make ends meet.
"Everybody has hard economic times. I work two jobs, so does my mom. Everyone works hard for their money, so that doesn't give anyone the right to take it," Tiana said.
The hidden video is in evidence and unavailable. Police caution others to be careful not to secretly tape people, even with the best intentions. But investigators are glad Tiana solved the case. It turns out her detective days are only just beginning. She's going to college. Her major?
Why criminology and forensics, of course.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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