Crescenta Valley High School evacuated; investigation underway

Crescenta Valley High School was placed on lockdown then slowly evacuated Wednesday following a report of an unauthorized person with a large duffel bag who failed to check in with school officials.

Deputies went to the school in the 2900 block of Community Avenue late Wednesday morning in response to the report and students were told to shelter in place.

Following an initial search that failed to locate any suspicious people on campus, students were evacuated class-by-class to Christ Armenian Church, 4441 La Crescenta Ave., where they could be picked up by their parents, according to the sheriff’s department and Glendale Unified School District.

“This evacuation is precautionary in nature,” according to a sheriff’s department statement. “This was triggered when an unauthorized person failed to check in on campus with a large duffle bag. Numerous law enforcement resources are on-scene to keep the community safe.”

School district officials said authorities were conducting a secondary search to ensure there were no suspicious items left on the campus.

The school was reported clear around 3:22 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

A short time later, sheriff’s officials reported that a person of interest had been located near the 3500 block of Foothill Boulevard in Glendale.

“A staff member who had seen the suspect, came to the location and positively identified the person as a suspect,” according to the sheriff’s department. “A search of the suspect and his property did not reveal any weapons or devices.”

The suspect was taken into custody on suspicion of trespassing, sheriff’s officials said.

“We have not yet established a motive for the suspect to enter the school,” the department said.

Updated Feb. 1, 2023, 10:07 p.m.

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