By Daily Press staff — John Wood
SUNSET PARK — Students at Will Rogers Elementary School were held in their classrooms Wednesday morning after a suspected prowler apparently ran across the campus, police said.
The suspect had been sighted in the area Sunday and was seen again shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday running across the school campus, said Santa Monica Police Department Lt. Frank Fabrega.
Police searched for the prowler for about 35 minutes, but were unsuccessful, Fabrega added. A prowler is defined as somebody who trespasses with the goal of peeping into a business or residence, police said.
However, Will Rogers Principal Maureen Bradford sent a note home with students Wednesday afternoon that told parents the school was put on “lock down” so police could search for a suspected burglar, not a prowler.
“An off-duty officer noticed a man walking down 14th Street who matched the description of a suspect in a series of burglaries in the area,” Bradford’s letter said. “The off-duty officer saw the man turn into what appeared to be either our 14th Street parking lot or the apartment building next door. He called the situation into the police department and several officers responded.
“We used our intercom system to hold all students and adults in classrooms with the doors locked, while the officers dispersed a visual sweep and then a more thorough search of the campus. This took approximately 30 minutes. No suspect was found. The police then left two officers posted at the northern perimeter of the campus while they began to search the apartment building next door.
“Students and staff did a terrific job of practicing our lock down safety response,” continued the letter, which went on to advise parents to discuss the experience with their children.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 28, 2004. Read the original PDF.