Insurance probe begins in damage to Woodard

The Woodard Junior High School break-in was more of a case of vandalism than burglary Saturday, according to school officials.

Destruction caused by alleged burglar Ernest Eugene Herrera, 20, was estimated by a Yuma Police Department officer at the scene to be around $150,000, but that figure still needs to be confirmed by the school's insurers, Arizona School Risk Retention Trust, according to Darwin Stiffler, Yuma Elementary School District 1 superintendent.

"We're still working through the adjusting process," Stiffler said.

He said that the exact cost of damages will probably be within the estimate but the investigation is ongoing.

"We began the clean up on Sunday. Most of the glass and graffiti is cleaned
up," Stiffler said. "All the windows were boarded up and will be replaced. We started on Saturday doing preliminary inventory with the insurance people."

School staff has examined all the classrooms and taken photographs of damage, including ruined computers, which were tagged. That will make the insurance process move along much more quickly, Stiffler noted. A contractor cleared away shattered glass on Sunday and will prepare the areas that need painting.

The school will definitely be ready for opening day on Aug. 18, Stiffler said.

"I want everyone to understand, these weren't students who did this," Stiffler said. "This was an adult who did this. It's particularly hard to understand why any adult would go on a vandalism rampage."

At 8:50 a.m. on Saturday, YPD responded to a 911 call to the school, located at 2250 S. 8th Ave., when a school staff member called about a burglary in the library.

YPD arrested Herrera at the scene and took him into custody. He is facing charges of third degree burglary and aggravated criminal damage.


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William Roller can be reached at
wroller@yumasun.com or 539-6858.