Burglar who stole items from Fremont classrooms arrested, police say

Alleged Bay Area school trespasser arrested

A man suspected of burglarizing classrooms in Fremont was arrested by a Fremont school resource officer and Fremont police on Monday.

FREMONT, Calif. - A prolific school burglar has been arrested by a Fremont school resource officer, police say.

What we know:

Christopher Britton, of Fairfield, is suspected of a series of school burglaries throughout the Bay Area. He was arrested on Monday when, during a follow-up activity in Walnut Creek, a school resource officer spotted Britton returning a rented vehicle that is believed to have been used in one of the burglaries. Authorities, in collaboration with the Walnut Creek Police Department, moved in on the suspect to make the arrest as he allegedly attempted to flee the area.

The backstory:

The Fremont Police Department said on Oct. 3, an elementary school in Fremont reported a suspicious person walking around campus. Staff then confronted the person, who gave them conflicting reasons for being on the property. The suspicious person left the area shortly after.

After this initial encounter, Fremont school resource officers began receiving additional reports of missing items from classrooms at multiple schools from the district.

Christopher Britton. Photo courtesy Fremont Police Department.

Investigators from the police department, through a coordinated effort, identified Britton as the suspect.

"Britton was already wanted by multiple law enforcement agencies in Solano, Contra Costa, Marin, Alameda, and Yolo counties for similar thefts occurring on school campuses," Fremont police said in a news release on Wednesday.

Police said Britton was targeting teachers' credit cards inside the classrooms and had been making fraudulent purchases at various retail stores.

What they're saying:

"Our educators come to work each day to teach and support our children—they should never have to worry about being targeted by criminals," said Fremont Police SRO Sergeant Richard Hamblin. "The dedication of our SROs and their collaboration with neighboring agencies made this arrest possible, helping ensure the safety of our schools and staff."

Fremont police are encouraging other individuals or schools who believe they may have been victimized by Britton to contact their local police department.

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