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OREM — Two men accused of stealing $100,000 worth of computers and other items from Utah County elementary schools since 2009 have been arrested thanks in part to messages posted on Facebook.
Orem police Thursday arrested Vai Fungalei, 20, and Aesia Ngatuvai, 23, and booked them into the Utah County Jail for investigation of theft and burglary. The two are accused of breaking into at least four schools, including Foothill Elementary School in Orem on Dec. 13 and stealing computers.
After that burglary, one of the men reportedly put messages on Facebook like, "It's going to be a great Christmas now" and "probably going to take another trip to Hawaii," said Orem Police Sgt. Craig Martinez.
Someone saw those posts and thought it was suspicious because of the timing in relation to the burglary, Martinez said. Investigators contacted both men Thursday night and after interviewing them, both were arrested.
Information from those interviews led detectives to a house in Salt Lake City where a search warrant was served. Inside, 43 of the 48 stolen computers were recovered as well as projectors and items from other schools that had been stolen in recent burglaries.
Items taken from Amelia Earhart and Sunset View elementary schools in Provo and Northridge Elementary School in Orem in 2009 were recovered, Martinez said. More than $100,000 worth of computers and other items were taken during all four burglaries.
The two men are accused of breaking into the schools after hours, stealing the equipment, then selling it to a man in Salt Lake City. Whether the man who bought the school property in Salt Lake knew all the computers were stolen was still being investigated Friday. Martinez said the man was not arrested.
The man who bought the computers would then re-sell the computers on the Internet. Some of the stolen computer equipment was also given away to family and friends, Martinez said.
A third person is also believed to be part of the school burglary ring. That man was out of state on vacation Thursday, Martinez said. Detectives had made contact by phone with that person, he said.
Detectives are also investigating whether any additional burglaries could be traced to the men.
"We're excited to be able to get these computers back so quickly. By the time the children get back from Christmas break, their computer lab will be back," Martinez said.
Posted on his Facebook wall Thursday night is a message from Fungalei that in part said, "We live, and we learn, the only one to forgive us for our mistakes ... is the good LORD above! Keep him in your hearts and know that he is the way and the light."
E-mail: preavy@desnews.com
