MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — An elementary school in South Florida was positioned on a lockout Monday afternoon after deputies said a person stole a whole bunch of {dollars} in lottery tickets from a fuel station.
The sheriff’s workplace stated the suspect walked right into a fuel station, grabbed lottery tickets, and ran from the enterprise.
The man led police on a brief pursuit earlier than crashing his automotive. He then fled on foot and hid in a wooded space.
Law enforcement arrived and arrange a fringe close to an elementary school, prompting a lockout on the school.
After two hours of looking, the suspect, Andrew Owen Ekren, 31, of Virginia, was taken into custody simply after 4:30 p.m. ET in a subdivision.
A lady who was within the automobile with Ekren was additionally discovered hiding in a transportable bathroom. Authorities stated she had out-of-state warrants and can be arrested on these prices.
The sheriff’s workplace stated Ekren has a historical past of stealing lottery tickets and different crimes.
Authorities stated the automotive that Ekren was driving was reported stolen in Palm Beach County, Florida.
The lockout on the school, which had already been dismissed for the day, was lifted at 4:45 p.m. ET, in line with the Martin County School District Safety and Security Director Francesco Frangella.
Frangella stated a lockout is outlined as police exercise within the space, inflicting the school to close down its campus and nobody is allowed in or out of the constructing. However, enterprise continues as typical contained in the school. Staff are on a heightened alert ought to that incident come on campus, which might then immediate a lockdown.