Officers from the Crescent City Police Department were dispatched just before 10:00pm, Tuesday night, June 1st, to Joe Hamilton School regarding a report of someone intentionally trapped in a bathroom.
Upon arrival Crescent City Police Officers were able to contact the school custodian and his wife and detain the suspect identified as 37 year old Ler Xiong.
Xiong was seen entering school property and then using a key to unlock the door to the bathroom prior to going inside. The school custodian and his wife then held the door shut so that Xiong was unable to get away prior to the arrival of officers.
37 year old Ler Xiong was known to Officers as he had been identified on video surveillance at another local school during a recent burglary. Officers had been unable to locate Xiong after looking for him for several days.
Xiong was initially arrested on an outstanding arrest warrant for theft. During a search of Xiong’s person, Officer’s located property from Joe Hamilton, Crescent Elk, and Bess Maxwell School’s.
Xiong has been linked to five total burglary cases in Crescent City Police Department jurisdiction, as well as possibly one more case that Xiong may be responsible for within city limits.
The Crescent City Police Department will be working in coordination with the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office and the the Del Norte County District Attorney’s Office as investigations continue.
