F.W. Howay Elementary was locked down for part of the day on Wednesday as police executed a search warrant and arrested a suspect in a nearby residence.
According to Sgt. Diana McDaniel, spokesperson for the police department, the school, which is located east of McBride Boulevard at 91 Courtney Cres. off of Cumberland Street, was on a "soft" lockdown as a precautionary measure while investigators were at the suspect’s home on 10th Avenue.
The suspect, whose name hasn’t been released because he has yet to be formally charged, is alleged to have to committed a break and enter in New Westminster, McDaniel told The Record.
Officers, with the assistance of the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team, arrested the suspect at his home around 2:40 p.m. without incident.
Throughout the lockdown at Howay, the school liaison officer was in full communication with investigators, McDaniel said.
“As soon as it was done, they (investigators) communicated with our school liaison officer and then they (students) were released from the school no problem,” she added.
The suspect is expected to make his first cout appearance later today.
