Recycling Center theft clarified

A total of $500 in damages and about $350 in stolen aluminum cans are the correct figures from an Oct. 13 burglary of Cal State Long Beach's Recycling Center.

Police Lt. Judi King said damages totaled $500, not $800 in cans stolen, as reported last week in the Daily Forty-Niner.

In addition, King said the forklift was not used to steal the 300 pounds of aluminum cans, but rather the forklift was moved to get to the bin that held the aluminum cans.

John Weininger, a Recycling Center employee, said the burglars first snapped the main gate's lock to get inside and then proceeded to snap the shed's lock where the forklift keys were located.

After locating the forklift keys, the burglars then moved the forklift to the side and opened the bin doors and stole the cans, Weininger said.

"We back up our forklift against our aluminum bin every night," he said

Weininger explained that losses, including damages and cans stolen, totaled about $800. He said it would take $500 to fix the fence and replace the locks on the forklift and to fix the forklift's ignition.

The 300 pounds of aluminum cans stolen were estimated to total about $350, said Recycling Center student Manager Chad Franklin.

"I disagree that it was an inside job," Franklin said. "A forklift is not complicated to operate. We suspect it was a customer." So far there are no suspects, King said, but the burglary is still under investigation.