Thieves break into girl’s house and rob her while her classmates watch on Zoom
Horrified pupils could only watch as thieves broke into their classmate’s house and threatened her while she was taking part in a school lesson over Zoom.
Maria Jose was taking part in an online English class at her home in Tungurahua, central Ecuador, when men broke in and demanded she hand over belongings.
Other students in the video call could see Maria being threatened before the thieves closed her laptop and made off with it.
Her classmates called Maria’s mother and the police who arrested four suspects by tracking two mobile phones that had been stolen.
A video recording of the class shows the girl, in the third column of the third row, freeze before her laptop is closed. Her classmates flagged the incident to the teacher who had not noticed.
One pupil asks: ‘Does anyone have the address or the number of her parents?’
Another answers that they have Maria’s mother’s number and is told to ‘call her straight away’.
Ecuador Police said the criminals fled the scene in a car before they were caught in Huachi Grande.
They had stolen a safe, $4,000 (£3,017) in cash, two guns, one puncturing weapon, two mobile phones, one laptop and one video games console.
Police named the suspects arrested as Luis C, Valentin P, Carlos A and Dorian R.
They are currently in custody but it is unclear as to whether they have been charged.
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