Unauthorized man occupies Suffolk elementary bathroom with students in it
"We had to go do some things and then I started getting flooded with calls," Blair Davis, who is a parent of a student at Kilby Shores Elementary, said.
Davis said on Friday she decided to let her daughter start summer early by missing the last day of school since it was only a half day.
While the two were out Friday afternoon, Blair said she got a call and learned something was going on.
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"At that time the recorded call came in saying that it was just an unauthorized person," Davis said.
That unauthorized person was 42-year-old Vontrail Thorpe.
John Hood
School principal Lorri Banks sent a letter out to parents that said students and staff were leaving the building for recess when the intruder entered the building.
She said staff immediately noticed the man and the school was placed on lockdown while police were called.
Police received the call at 11:32 a.m. and were at the school within two minutes where they found Thorpe in a bathroom with students.
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At 11:40 a.m. Thorpe was arrested and is facing several charges which includes two counts of abduction, trespassing, and possession of drugs on school property, according to Suffolk Police.
According to court documents Thorpe entered the school after a teacher allegedly opened a door for students to return from recess.
When the teacher turned their back Thorpe entered the building.
Documents go on to say two children saw Thorpe come into the bathroom and locked they themselves inside the stalls while yelling for their teachers.
Staff tried entering the bathroom but Thorpe allegedly pushed the door closed until he was arrested by police.
"Well it's terrifying and I say that because this school, this community, this neighborhood nothing like that ever happens," Davis said. "This is a very safe community."
John Hood
Thorpe does not have children who go to the elementary school and he was found to allegedly have a crack pipe on him,
Court documents state he also admitted to doing drugs in the last 24 hours.
Davis said while she loves her daughter's school, she feels changes are coming next school year.
"There's no doubt in my mind that they are not going to make some extra precautions on that way," Davis said. "I mean they are elementary school kids and at the end of the day we all know each other so they are not going to put our kids in danger."
Thorpe was arraigned on some of his charges on Monday and is due back in court on July 29.
On a checklist for bail Thorpe said he was just released from the mental health unit at Sentara Obici and was in and out of mental health facilities for the past five months.
The document stated that Thorpe did not intend to abduct any children and was confused about what was going on.
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John Hood 
John Hood 
Local Suffolk, VA
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