COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — The Collier County Sheriff's Office says they responded to the call of a suspicious person at Highlands Elementary School on Wednesday, September 4th.
A witness says they observed a man looking into classrooms windows, eventually entering a back building and jumping over a school fence.
The man was later identified as Steven Clifford Gonzalez.
The suspect was later found walking Southbound on North 9th Street near Glades Street.
A police report, in addition to a notice sent out by the school, says students were secured as the incident unfolded during after school hours - delaying parent pick up by approximately twenty minutes.
Dear Parents of Highlands Elementary School,
I’m reaching out to let you know of a trespassing incident that occurred on our campus yesterday after dismissal. School staff should be credited for being observant and taking quick action. The after-school program immediately went into a Secure The Campus safety protocol, meaning students remained indoors. Affirming the value of our 45-year partnership with the Collier County Sheriff's Office, school leaders quickly worked with our law enforcement partners who apprehended the suspect and made the arrest for trespassing. Students remained safe and the Secure The Campus safety protocol was lifted, returning the after-school program to normal operations.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Margaux Horne
Principal
Collier County Public Schools says the suspect did not enter the building through a door or gate that supposed be locked.
"This is not an example of a failure in safety procedures. Just the opposite, Collier County Public Schools plans to use this internally as a valuable training opportunity to show the importance of swift action and the proper safety protocols being followed to keep students and staff safe," Collier Schools tells us in a statement.
Deputies say Gonzalez failed to register as a convicted felon in Collier County within the allotted time frame.
His previous charges include burglary, trespassing and loitering.
Gonzalez was placed under arrest for the following:
- Trespass (School Grounds)
- Disrupt School Function
- Failure to Register as a Convicted Felon
