Burglar Takes Off With Rocket-Builder’s Dream

This thief was no rocket scientist. He could never understand the value of what he stole from the home of David Roy in Jefferson Park.

It is not like a VCR or CD player. The rocket capable of flying at Mach speeds represents things that mean nothing in a pawnshop: Hard work, excellence, intellect. A bond shared with a father who died two years ago.

The rocket, dubbed Vertigo, earned the 17-year-old David a spot at the NAACP’s national ACT-SO academic, cultural and scientific competition to be held in Miami starting today. But when he boarded a plane Wednesday night, Vertigo was not with him.

“I was more hurt than angry -- basically because the people that took it probably don’t even know what they have,” David said. “When they figure out they can’t sell it, they’re probably going to discard it.”

The rocket, painted an iridescent burgundy, stands 7 feet tall, but was broken down into pieces and packed in a black case, decorated with David’s name and two National Assn. of Rocketry patches. With other items, it was stolen from the West 35th Place home Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning, while the Roys slept.

Los Angeles Police Department Senior Lead Officer Phillip Bobo called such burglaries rare. “We don’t have a lot of occurrences of homes being burglarized when people are at home. Most burglars don’t want to get caught,” he said.

On Wednesday, when David and his mother might have been handling last-minute details of the trip, Cassandra Roy was home waiting for the police. She talked to neighbors, hoping someone could lead her to Vertigo. David visited pawnshops.

“It’s really of no value to anyone, except David,” said Cassandra Roy, who will be assistant principal at Crenshaw High School in the fall.

The rocket, David said, “represents the pinnacle of my achievement in rocketry so far.”

He learned to love rockets the way some boys learn to love baseball or fly-fishing or driving big trucks: When he was 7, his dad taught him how to build a craft that could fly -- and David was hooked.

His father, Ernie, was a science teacher whose students often won at local science fairs. Later, he became principal of King/Drew Medical Magnet High School, producing students who would become doctors.

Rocketry Bonding

Over the years, rocketry became the common ground for father and son. They traveled from their South Los Angeles neighborhood to remote spots to launch their creations, learning about success and failure along the way. They planned to one day enter David’s rockets in national competitions.

Then the elder Roy died of cancer in 2001, and David was left with the passion and plans. That year, he began working on Vertigo, a high-performance, high-powered rocket, built of fiberglass and aluminum, with a nosecone and fins made of Kevlar and carbon fiber. Flames are painted on its sides.

“Theoretically, it could probably reach Mach 2 or 3,” David said. “The fastest I’ve ever gotten it to go is about 705 mph. With a big enough motor, it’ll probably reach altitudes of 35,000 or 40,000 feet.”

Vertigo returns to earth with a parachute.

In April, David, who also builds robots, won the NAACP local ACT-SO competition with Vertigo and was invited to the national contest.

“He was just so proud of going to the NAACP competition, because Ernie always talked about taking him. They were going to go together,” Cassandra Roy said.

His skill in rocketry helped earn David a paid position as a lab assistant at UCLA’s Institute for Cell Mimetic Space Exploration, which is supported by NASA, said Joe Wise, coordinator for the K-12 educational program at UCLA.

“There are these model rockets and such, but he’s gone way beyond that,” Wise said.

Interest in rocket-building had waned since the 1960s, when the walk on the moon and other NASA projects pushed a nation’s mind into space travel. But there has been a resurgence of sorts in recent years with Robotica competitions. Still, David’s passion and skills are rare.

A Devoted Mentor

Joseph Beckles, a Leimert Park sculptor and mentor to David, joined the teenager on trips to test the rocket, hoping to support David in his goals.

“Any young person interested in those things needs to be nurtured, needs to be encouraged,” Beckles said.

With Vertigo stolen, David will compete in Miami using a project board, similar to those used to explain science projects.

Hours before they left for Florida, David and his mother held out hope that the rocket would one day be returned. To the thieves, “I would just say, ‘Bring it back, no questions asked,’ ” David said. “I hope they have the morals and the integrity to bring it in,” he said.