A group of kids are being called the "snack bandits" after breaking into a preschool and home several times and eating their food.
"I labeled them the 'snack bandits' because that's what they seem to be taking," said Linda Zilla, owner of Ortega Hills Preschool.
Within the past three weeks, Zilla said she found shattered glass in her play area three times.
“Food was missing, food was on the floor and they made a mess in the kitchen," said Zilla.
Besides food, we’re told money, a camera and a watch were also stolen.
Zilla said neighborhood kids are getting on the roof, going through the crawl space and shattering the now boarded-up windows to get inside.
"I just take the safety of my children very important to me, so when I see that I'm just wondering if they are going to do it again when the kids are here," said Zilla.
It’s not just the preschool that’s targeted. A man, who doesn’t want to be identified, said his home just feet away was broken into and he could tell it’s children by the footprints they left behind.
"You can clearly see that they went through the house in each room searching for any valuables they can carry in their pockets."
A block over in the Ortega Hills neighborhood, spray paint stains the front the house of a woman who also doesn’t want to be identified.
"Just in the night they decided to spray-paint the house and it's something we're taking care of, not big damage, but who does that to people's properties?"
Even though she suspects it’s the same children causing the damage, it’s not them who she blames.
"We need to take a stand on raising our children and be more responsible."
Action News Jax has obtained three police reports that were filed, but no one has been arrested yet.
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