Cable Theft Hits 10 Classrooms at Playa del Carmen Elementary School

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Theft of electrical wiring from 10 classrooms at Kukulcán Elementary School has disrupted air conditioning systems and part of the school’s power supply, affecting roughly 350 students, officials said.

School staff first discovered the theft on Tuesday, when teachers arrived and found that wiring had been removed. The incident was reported to authorities.

During a follow-up inspection on Saturday morning, principal Cady Pérez found that additional wiring had been taken, according to local reports.

Pérez said the thieves pulled cables from conduits in all 10 classrooms and dug up some underground conduits to extract the material. The way the cables were cut suggested the perpetrators had knowledge of electrical installations, she said.

She remained at the school until about 3:30 a.m. and saw no suspicious activity, leading her to believe the latest theft occurred after that time.

The stolen wiring included cables used for air conditioning units that parents had helped pay for, contributing 300 pesos each to cover installation costs amid high temperatures. The theft also damaged part of the school’s electrical supply network.

The school serves about 350 students in the morning shift, with 10 teachers, 13 support staff members and two janitors. Students come from Real Ibiza, Villas del Sol, Las Perlas, Pescadores and the Luis Donaldo Colosio neighborhood.

Pérez has asked authorities for increased security patrols around the school following the break-ins.