Police: Fake repairman steals computers

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Austin ISD police are trying to find a man they say walked into two different schools on two different days posing as a computer repairman and made off with five computers.

According to an arrest warrant, Jesse Istre showed up at Anderson High School in October without photo identification. The 22-year-old walked into a classroom told a teacher he was there to "pick up some computers for repair."

Police said teachers "assumed he was legitimate" and went on with their business. Istre started to remove an Apple iMac computer from the classroom. One of the teachers left and became suspicious.

When she returned, Istre was gone and so were two iMac computers.

Police pulled up school surveillance video to try and figure out who he was.

A week later, a man with a similar description walked into Murchison Middle School and walked out with three Mac computers and an expensive projector. He talked to staff members who told police he sounded like he knew a lot about computer repair.

After watching more surveillance video, police believed it was the same man who stole the computers from Anderson High School.

AISD police sent an alert out to all campuses telling staff to be on the lookout for the suspect. Someone recognized Istre and said he used to work at Anderson as a contracted computer technician at the beginning of the school year.

Police issued a warrant for his arrest Tuesday. Anyone with information about Jesse Istre's whereabouts are asked to call the Austin ISD Police Department at 512-414-1703.