Prosecutors in Van Nuys California were able to obtain a conviction for the actions of 25-year-old Jose Perez because an alert witness interrupted his assault on a 15-year-old girl as she sat at a table outside of her school. The man grabbed her and dragged her into the bushes, fleeing upon the approach of the man, Perez fled and the witness recorded part of his license plate number leading police to the suspect. Perez was also convicted of assaulting four more teenage girls and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Incidents like this demonstrate just how quickly a violent offender from the community can enter a campus and attack students and staff. These types of school safety incidents have occurred in schools in low-crime areas as well as in high-crime neighborhoods. It is a good idea to consider the community crime rate when establishing school safety measures.