Summer plans at a Perry child-care center screeched to a halt this week after thieves made off with its only transportation van, forcing Wee Maroons Day Care to hit pause on all field trips and leaving roughly 70 children without their usual rides.
Staff discovered the van missing early Monday, July 6, just before a scheduled splash-pad outing, according to News 9. Surveillance footage captured a person breaking into the day care and driving away in the vehicle, Perry police said. The suspect took the keys before leaving, and owner Jennifer Brownlee told News 9 the stolen van is essential for daily school runs and for multiple weekly field trips during the summer.
Police seek tips; surveillance images released
The Perry Police Department has released still images from surveillance video and is asking anyone who recognizes the vehicle or the person pictured to contact investigators, KOCO reports. The station identified the vehicle as a 2001 white van and noted that community members are already stepping up to help. According to KOCO, one grandparent is working to get an older bus running, and a local dealership has offered temporary transportation assistance while the investigation continues.
Daycare capacity and safety record
State records list Wee Maroons, LLC as a licensed child-care center with capacity for 74 children, and identify Jennifer Brownlee as the director, per the Oklahoma DHS provider profile. The linked DHS inspection history shows recent full visits and includes transportation-related checks among other compliance items.
How to help
A GoFundMe has been launched to help replace or recover the van and to cover immediate transportation costs, KOCO notes. Perry police are still asking anyone with information about the theft to contact the department so the center can get its daily pickups and summer trips back on track.
