Cops say they've nabbed punk who stole pet hamster from school for autistic chil

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Cops say they've nabbed punk who stole pet hamster from school for autistic

children

BY Lauinger

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Friday, April 23rd 2010, 4:00 AM

An unrepentant Staten Island punk was busted for burglarizing a school for

autistic children and swiping the children's pet hamster and sock puppet,

authorities said.

Emil Sorensen, 21, flipped the bird at photographers as he was hauled off to

Rikers Island after being arraigned Wednesday in the shocking break-in at Eden

II School for Children with Autism on Staten Island.

Sorensen, 21, and at least one accomplice bagged $3,000 in electronics in the

March heist, which police unraveled with help from a confidential informant,

according to court papers.

But the school's executive director, Joanne Gerenser, said Sorensen broke

children's hearts by stealing Star, the class hamster, while he was still in his

cage.

Star's whereabouts are unknown.

The thieves even filched six rubber duckies and Skippy the sock puppet - causing

children to weep and lose sleep.

Gerenser said her students are still trying to make sense of the cold-hearted

crime.

" Just two days ago, I walked into a classroom and one of my kids said, 'Joanne,

do you remember the break-in?' " Gerenser said, hoping the arrest will give the

students closure.

" To them, things are black and white, " she said. " The fact that somebody did

this and nobody was ever identified left it sort of in limbo for them. "