Milpitas Police Department on Tuesday arrested a woman suspected of committing thefts at Milpitas schools during school hours. The woman had allegedly targeted unoccupied classrooms and stole the personal belongings of teachers, which are often stored unsecured in their desks.

On Tuesday, officers were alerted to the presence of an unknown woman who first appeared on campus at Curtner Elementary School, then quickly left after school staff noticed her.

At about 2 p.m., the same woman appeared at William Burnett Elementary School, where officers contacted her.

Police arrested Latrenda Smith, a 35-year-old Oakland resident.

Milpitas police Sgt. Raj Maharaj said that Smith was not found with any stolen property or missing items on her at the time of her arrest.

"At this time, we don't have anything to associate her with the thefts," Maharaj said. "She was booked into county jail for prowling on a school campus."

But police did recover many pursues, wallets and credit cards from the woman's home, they said.

Maharaj said Smith matches the description of the woman wanted in connection to previous thefts at Curtner and Merryhill schools, and similar thefts at other Bay Area school districts.

Maharaj credits Smith's arrest to a bulletin Milpitas Police Department sent out earlier this week to local schools.

Police requested that Milpitas teachers protect their property by locking classrooms whenever they are left unattended. A locking drawer or

cabinet should be used to store personal belongings, they advised.