Audio security catches two looking for meds in school

Chelsea Mitchell Arrests & Apprehensions

Michael Young, award winning operator, takes care of Sonitrol Pacific clients.

Deputies arrested two people suspected of breaking into a Puget Sound high school in search of prescription medications after Sonitrol Pacific’s audio based security system detected a threat September 14.

At 12:49 a.m., Operator Michael Young received an activation from the security system at the high school.  Listening to live security audio, Young heard a door open and shut, sounds of movement and faint voices.  He called the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies were on scene in about five minutes, surrounded the school and waited for a police dog to arrive.  Officers turned on their sirens and told the intruders to surrender over a loud speaker.  While this was happening, Young heard the people inside continue to calmly riffle through drawers.

“It sounded like they were going through file cabinets looking for something specific,” Young said.

About an hour later, Young heard the intruders discuss trying to evade officers by leaving the school through the roof.  When two people did run out a side door, deputies were there waiting with the police dog.

According to deputies, the two broke into the school specifically to take medications stored in the school’s health room.  The drugs were recovered and the intruders were arrested.  The only damage to the school was one broken interior window and a couple pried open cabinets.

The school’s principal praised the coordination between Sonitrol Pacific, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department and the school district.

Special “thanks” to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.

See our complete 2010 apprehension record for more tales of criminals getting caught.