St. Paul school alerts parents after sex offender found on bus
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – (FOX 9) – A registered sex offender is facing charges after he snuck onto a St. Paul school bus Thursday in Minneapolis, according to a letter sent to parents.
According to the letter from Chelsea Heights Elementary School, students took a field trip to the Walker Art Center on Feb. 28. During the ride home, “an unknown man was discovered sitting in the back of the school bus.”
Video recordings showed that the man boarded after the driver exited the bus prior to arriving at the Walker Art Center to pick up students. According to the letter, the man was discovered when the bus was en route back to Chelsea Heights Elementary. The driver then immediately called police and the man was arrested once all students were back inside the school.
On March 1, St. Paul Police informed the school that the man was criminally charged and the incident is part of an active investigation. Officials also learned the man is a registered sex offender.
According to the letter, at no time were students unsupervised by teachers and chaperones.
Saint Paul Public Schools said in a statement it is conducting its own investigation to learn more about what happened and to strengthen bus safety procedures. SPPS has also informed its school bus contractors about the incident to reinforce required safety protocols. When a driver enters or exits a bus, they must walk through to verify that the bus is empty and ready for its next route.
Full statement from St. Paul Public Schools:
During a bus ride back to the school from a field trip in Minneapolis on Feb. 28, an unidentified adult was discovered sitting in the back of a school bus returning to Chelsea Heights Elementary.
The driver immediately called dispatch to alert police. Students were under direct supervision of school staff at all times.
The adult was taken into custody at the school without incident by the Saint Paul Police Department and they are investigating the individual.
Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) is conducting its own investigation to learn more about what happened and to strengthen our bus safety procedures. SPPS has also informed its school bus contractors about the incident to reinforce our required safety protocols.
The school is in regular communication with families affected by this situation.
