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Alice ISD credits staff training, procedures for student safety during intrusion

Posted at 11:05 PM, Feb 13, 2019
and last updated 2019-02-15 02:33:36-05

The spokesperson for Alice Independent School District says school leaders and staff at Memorial Intermediate School relied on their training and pre established procedures to protect students when a man who was apparently high on drugs came on campus yelling and screaming Friday.

“As soon as she saw him, she followed protocol and our safety procedures for the district,” AISD Public Information Officer Ofelia Hunter said.

Those procedures include putting the school on lockdown, alerting the campus security guard, and calling the Alice Police Department.

“First thing that comes into mind is, are all the kids ok?” Interim Alice Police Chief Aniceto Perez said.

The attempted intruder didn’t reach any kids, but he did smash a window of one of the school’s buildings and tried to get inside. Police quickly arrived and arrested 23 year old Brian Scott Benavides without incident.

“Glad the cops grabbed him fast,” parent of a Memorial Intermediate School fifth grader Ramiro Valls said. “Glad the kids were safe.”

Chief Perez says he doesn’t have any theories as to why Benavides would come on campus other than him being high on a still-unknown drug. The school’s principal is just happy that the situation resolved itself the way it did.

“Things can head south very quick,” Principal Christina Lopez said. “But because we were on point with any drills and procedures we were able to go home safely.”

Benavides is home from a short stay in jail. Chief Perez says he bonded out. Benavides is charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief, but the chief thinks the district attorney will enhance the charge to a felony, because it all happened at a school.