Thieves steal $15,000 in fireworks from school fundraiser, putting school programs in question

SACRAMENTO -- A fireworks stand fundraising for a Sacramento-area school is facing a major setback after thieves stole thousands of dollars worth of fireworks.

It happened Monday night in the Bel Air parking lot in Gold River. Volunteers at the fireworks stand say they closed around 10 p.m. and when they returned Tuesday morning, the door on the container was ripped off, and half their supply was gone.

"It seems like they connected a car to the locks and they just yanked off what they could and took everything they could fit," parent and volunteer Yelena Kopylov-Alford said.

The thieves stole more than $15,000 worth of fireworks.

The fireworks stand is the school's largest fundraiser for the school. It helps pay for school supplies, music classes and several after-school programs.

"There are so many things this is paying for so that loss is just devastating," Kopylov-Aford said.

Rancho Cordova police are now investigating, but surveillance video in the parking lot does not cover where the stand is located.

If you'd like to buy fireworks and support their fundraiser, you can find them in the Bel Air parking lot off Sunrise Boulevard on Wednesday.