Crime & Safety

[Update] A Carjacking in New Jersey Led to a School Lockdown in Monroe

A GPS of a hijacked vehicle showed it was in the Sandy Hook School parking lot, but Supt. of Schools James Agostine and Police Lt. Brian McCauley said the car was not found by police officers.

Update, 4:15 p.m.:

An e-mail from Newtown's Interim Superintendent John Reed:

Dear Parents and/or Guardians, I'm writing to inform you that the Sandy Hook School was advided earlier today by the Monroe Police Department that there was a possibility of a stolen vehicle in the area of a Monroe campus which includes the Sandy Hook School. We were asked to hold recess indoors as a precautionary measure. The Monroe Police Department also told Principal Donna Page that with the exception of recess, all normal activities and procedures could take place. I thought it was important to share this information.John Reed

Find out what's happening in Monroewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Interim Superintendent, Newtown Public Schools

 

Find out what's happening in Monroewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Original Report:

Police received a report that the GPS location of a car hijacked out of Harrison, N.J., Monday morning was in the parking lot of Sandy Hook Elementary School on Fan Hill Road in Monroe this afternoon, the same campus as Fawn Hollow Elementary and Jockey Hollow Middle schools. The schools went into lockdown mode for a half-an-hour as police officers searched the area for the car and performed a sweep of the school buildings, according to Monroe Supt. of Schools James Agostine.

Monroe Police Lt. Brian McCauley said police officers scoured the area, but could not find the stolen vehicle. "Officers are turning over every stone to find that vehicle and to see if it is in the area," McCauley said.

Agostine had issued the alert for Jockey Hollow and Fawn Hollow at around 12:30 p.m. when Harrison police contacted Monroe.

"Everything's good," Agostine said later in the afternoon. "We went into lockdown at both Jockey Hollow and Fawn Hollow more as a precaution than anything. A sweep of the buildings was made to make sure no one was there who shouldn't be, and we're happy to say no one was."


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