Cupertino students’ stolen robot found
The robot stolen from a Cupertino high school robotics team has been found in Utah.
Residents of West Valley City, a suburb of Salt Lake City, notified the team on Tuesday that they found El Toro XXI, the mechanical pride and joy of Monta Vista High School’s robotics team, on their front yard and sent them a picture, said John Yelinek, the team’s mentor.
“The picture looks like it’s in good shape,” Yelinek said. “If that’s the case, then that’s very, very exciting.”
The team had just finished participating in a robotics competition in the Utah city on Saturday and was staying at a Country Inn and Suites, with plans to return to the Bay Area on Sunday. Overnight, the trailer containing the 120-pound robot and tools worth tens of thousands of dollars was taken. Police said security footage showed a blue truck towing the Cupertino team’s locked trailer out of the hotel parking lot.
Police notified the team on Monday that the trailer was found with items like batteries and sheet metal parts, but the $4,000 robot and expensive tools were still missing, Yelinek said. It was only on Tuesday that the team received a message from the residents who found their robot, he added.
The students are still planning on competing in a robotics competition in Boise, Idaho, in three weeks. The team is also raising money to replace its tools.
While it is unclear what the condition of the robot is, or if all of its parts are still in place, Yelinek is hopeful.
“This was great news,” Yelinek said. “The kids are all feeling a lot of relief!”