Photo: All photos courtesy of Monterey PD
Originally Published By: Monterey Police Department
“On February 1, 2023, at approximately 1:54 p.m., Monterey Police Officers were dispatched to the San Carlos School, located at 450 Church Street, Monterey, regarding a male subject on the phone who claimed to be at the school with a gun.
The school was placed on a lock down and Monterey Police Officers immediately responded to the school. The initial officers on-scene immediately entered the campus and started searching for the suspect. As additional officers arrived on scene they were assigned to set up containment around the school to block ingress/egress. The Monterey Police Department requested Mutual Aid and the following agencies responded: California Highway Patrol (CHP), California State University of Monterey Bay (CSUMB), California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), Del Rey Oaks Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Marina Police Department, Seaside Police Department, and the Pacific Grove Police Department. The Monterey Fire Department also responded to the scene in the event medical aid was needed.
The MPD initiated an Incident Command System (ICS) and as regional law enforcement agencies arrived they were deployed to various responsibilities. All of the regional partners were utilized to assist.
The Monterey Police Department and San Carlos Administration worked hand-in-hand to account for all of the staff and students and communicate with them.
The MPD and San Carlos School designated a family reunification site at 777 Pearl Street – The Monterey Youth Center, near Dennis the Menace Park and asked that parents go to that location to pick up their children. Once the MPD had searched the school and adjacent areas and determined the suspect was not on-site, they used teams of officers to walk small groups of students to the re-unification center. The MPD and San Carlos School staff were then able to reunify students with parents in a methodical manner.
Once the students had been escorted from the school, the MPD re-searched the campus and did not locate any suspects.
The City of Monterey had the Press Information Officer on scene to inform the media and in turn the community. The MPD also utilized technology platforms to advise the community of what was occurring and provided updates regarding the incident.
This case is being investigated jointly by the Monterey Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. All indications are that the suspect was calling from another location in an attempt to extort money and that he was not in Monterey.
If you have any information regarding this case, please contact Detective Sergeant Greg Galin (831) 646-3872.”
