- April 25, 2024
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Ormond Beach Police arrested a 36-year-old man who trespassed Pine Trail Elementary while school was in session, threatened staff and screamed vulgarities in the vicinity of children on Friday, March 29.
According to a police report, James Richards, of Ormond Beach, had gone to the school to pick up a student, who had been staying with their grandfather because of issues at home. Because of this, the student's teacher told the school receptionist to call the principal or the Department of Children and Families before releasing the child into his custody.
The school receptionist told Richards to wait in the lobby, and Richards said he was going to use the restroom, the report states. However, he headed toward the school playground without permission. Once there, the student's teacher saw Richards approaching his pupils "screaming obscenities" at the student.
The report states that the teacher stepped in front of Richards and asked him to leave, prompting Richards to become aggressive toward him and the student. The teacher told police that Richards began cursing at him and telling him it was his fault he didn't have the student.
The school guardian and principal arrived shortly afterward and escorted Richards away from the playground. The school guardian told police that Richards said, "You better get some help because you can't get me to leave. They'll need a SWAT team to make me leave."
The student told his teacher that they were afraid of Richards and that he had hit them in the past, and later informed police that they had been living with their grandfather for four months. Their grandfather came to pick the student up from school.
The school principal told police that she could smell alcohol on Richards' breath while she was escorting him out. According to the report, Richards was angry and agitated when police made contact with him, and after continued aggression, was taken to jail.
