Three unidentified suspects broke into Paradise Charter Middle School and an adjacent storage building this week, making off with several items and the school's transportation van before it turned up abandoned a short time later. Officers were dispatched to the campus in the 6400 block of Clark Road on Wednesday, and now Paradise Police are asking the public to help put names to the faces caught on surveillance video.
According to Action News Now, police believe the three subjects seen in the footage are responsible for both the burglary and the theft of the van. The California Highway Patrol later located the vehicle unoccupied, though the outlet does not specify a timeline for its recovery. Law enforcement has reviewed the available surveillance video as the investigation continues.
The school sits at 6473 Clark Road, directly behind the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, and the property targeted included both the main school building and a separate storage facility, according to a Facebook post discussing the case. Commenters on that post described the suspects as wearing dirty work pants, a DeWalt-branded sweatshirt, and high-top sneakers based on the released images, while others in the thread pushed for the school to invest in a better camera system.
Detective Leads Search for Three Suspects
Paradise Police have asked community members to review the suspect images and help identify all three individuals involved. Detective Archuleta is leading the case and can be reached at 530-872-6241 or by email at [email protected]. The department has said it welcomes anonymous tips and that anyone calling in does not need to provide a name or other identifying information.
Police have expressed appreciation for any community assistance in identifying those responsible. It's a familiar refrain for a department that, per the same Action News Now report, is leaning on the public once again to help close out a property crime case.
A School Building With a Track Record
Paradise Charter Middle School serves grades 6 through 8 as a tuition-free public charter school and was named a California Distinguished School in 2019, according to the school itself. Its program combines academic instruction with a virtues education curriculum, giving the campus a profile as one of Paradise's more recognized educational institutions.
The break-in comes as the Town of Paradise continues to flag burglaries and thefts as the most common crimes in the municipality, urging homeowners and institutions alike to keep structures and vehicles locked using what the department calls a Deter, Detect, Delay approach. Even so, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data compiled by DoorProfit shows Paradise running well below national benchmarks, with vehicle thefts 64% below average and burglaries 33% below average, contributing to the town's overall A- safety grade.
Small Department, Familiar Playbook
Paradise Police operate with roughly 1.17 law enforcement personnel per 1,000 residents, compared to a national average of 3.25, according to AreaVibes — a staffing gap that helps explain the department's reliance on public tips and surveillance footage to generate leads. That approach has paid off before: in October 2024, an alert citizen's cellphone video of a suspicious vehicle at Feather River Hospital led officers to a felony burglary arrest and recovery of stolen commercial equipment, per the Town of Paradise. In August 2024, Hoodline reported on a felony probationer arrested near a school after a similar citizen tip.
Earlier this month, Paradise Police were also active along the Clark Road corridor investigating five roadside vegetation fires, underscoring recent law enforcement attention on the same north-south commercial artery where the middle school sits, per the Town of Paradise.
Potential Charges if Suspects Are Identified
If identified and arrested, the suspects could face charges tied to both the burglary and the vehicle theft. Under California Penal Code Section 459, commercial burglary of a school or auxiliary building is charged as second-degree burglary, a wobbler offense that can bring up to a year in county jail as a misdemeanor or up to three years in state prison as a felony, according to the Kraut Law Group. Prosecutors typically weigh the value of stolen property and any prior criminal history when deciding how to file.
Separately, unlawfully taking or driving a vehicle without consent under California Vehicle Code Section 10851 is also a wobbler carrying up to three years in prison, with mandatory state prison enhancements under Penal Code Section 666.5 for repeat auto theft offenders, according to the Shouse Law Group. No arrests have been announced in connection with the Paradise Charter Middle School case, and the investigation remains open as Detective Archuleta continues to work leads from the surveillance footage and any tips that come in.
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