Thieves Steal Defibrillators From Schools In Glen Rock, New Jersey
GLEN ROCK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- In a puzzling and problematic crime spree, somebody has been stealing defibrillators from schools in Glen Rock, New Jersey.
As CBS2's Tracee Carrasco reported, many have been left worried that the thefts could cost lives.
An empty case was seen Monday where a life-saving automated external defibrillator was supposed to be, next to the baseball field at Hamilton School in Glen Rock.
The AED, along with another at the same school, and one at Richard E. Byrd School and one Faber Fields, were all stolen over the weekend. Parents were outraged.
"God forbid there was an incident where someone would need them," said parent Eric Schlett.
"It's seconds that could save somebody's life, so it's a little disappointing," added parent Colleen Gibney.
The AEDs deliver an electric shock to the heart through the chest in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest, which is why the community raised funds for several years to buy them in an effort to keep everyone safe.
An AED did, in fact, save someone's life on a baseball field in the Tri-State Area this past weekend.
Jack Crowley, 15, was pitching to his younger brother at this Rocky Point batting cage in Suffolk county Saturday. He stepped out from behind the protective screen for a second and took a line drive to the chest.
"I was just really dizzy, shortness of breath, and then I had to go to my knees. I just couldn't stand up," Crowley recalled.
Jack stopped breathing. Onlookers tried CPR and his parents feared the worst.
"I thought my son was dead," said John Crowley.
"You feel like your child is dying in your arms, and you know it. You know it's happening. And just I wasn't going to let him go. I wasn't going to stop looking at him, because I thought he was leaving me," said mom Nancy Crowley.
An off-duty Suffolk County police sergeant ran for a defibrillator in the field house. It delivered a shock and in moments, Jack had regained consciousness and opened his eyes.
That AED, along with many others, are often donated to communities. But in Glen Rock, parents raised money for the devices.
In Glen Rock, the AED is kept in a closed, weatherproof proof box, but there is no way to lock the box, because then it becomes inaccessible in an emergency.
The devices, which cost about $1,800 each, have been registered with the maker as stolen. Glen Rock police are now looking at surveillance videos and hoping for a lead.
Glen Rock Mayor John Van Keuren is even offering $1,000 of his own money as a reward.
"I want to make people understand how much of a personal concern it is to me," he said.
