A southwest Atlanta day care is out thousands of dollars after thieves stole all of its outdoor equipment.
Owners of Ms. Niecey's Home-Away-From-Home day care said it's not the first time they've been a target, and ultimately, it's dozens of children who are now losing out.
"Everything was in here, and it's all gone. I mean it's all gone," said day care owner John Kimbrough.
Kimbrough said thieves took a generator, pressure washer, power tools and even rakes. It happened Tuesday night, when thieves popped the hinge on a shed behind a home away from home daycare.
In a way, the kids are now paying for what thieves took away.
"We can't let them outside until we get the fence fixed," said Kimbrough.
"It takes from the coloring books, the Crayons, field trips and different things because we have to replace the things," Kimbrough said.
Co-owner Juanisa Kimbrough called it a tough blow right before Christmas.
"It's a setback. It's going put us back," Juanisa Kimbrough said. "You try to do something for the community to help the kids develop and grow and have fun, and then you got people that just don't care and take from you."
And it's not the first time. Thieves took one of day care's vans in October. Atlanta police recovered it, but the steering column was busted.
The day care does have surveillance cameras, but a while ago, thieves cut the power to them so the cameras don't actually work. All the losses are adding up.
"We need to let the public know we're trying to do something for your kids in this community," John Kimbrough said.
John Kimbrough said the alarm company is coming out to fully rewire the entire day care. Meanwhile, Atlanta police are still investigating.
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