Kidnapping attempt at Sequoia High School ends in arrest

A 24-year-old man tried to pull a male student out of a classroom Thursday afternoon, police said.

REDWOOD CITY — A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of trying to kidnap a student Thursday at Sequoia High School in Redwood City, according to authorities.

The incident happened around 2 p.m. at the campus, located at 1201 Brewster Ave.

The man entered a classroom, grabbed a male student and tried to pull him out of the room, Redwood City police Capt. Ashley Osborne said in a news release. A teacher intervened, which caused the man to run away.

Osborne said the man told school workers he had a gun and not to touch him as he fled.

The high school was locked down while officers searched for the man. He was eventually found walking out of a building on the west side of campus, Osborne said.

The man was holding a cylindrical object, which was later determined to be an umbrella. Osborne said the man resisted efforts to detain him, and officers used less-lethal force to take him into custody. He suffered minor injuries and was evaluated at an area hospital.

An investigation revealed the man had punched a hole in a bathroom wall and stolen a printer cartridge as he ran through school and prior to his arrest, Osborne said.

The man was booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City on charges of attempted kidnapping, burglary, child endangerment, obstructing officers, vandalism and trespassing on school grounds.

“There is no ongoing threat or safety concern for the school or the community,” Osborne said.