Maine Man Arrested For Entering School, Offering Student A Needle

A man from Portland is in trouble after he allegedly entered a Portland middle school and offered a female student a hypodermic needle.

According to WMTW, Portland police were called to King Middle School just before 9 AM on Monday for reports of a suspicious man.  When police arrived, they found the man near the Deering Oaks Park entrance.

The WMTW article explains that, according to a spokesperson for the school, the man entered the school and, at some point, went into the girl's bathroom.  While in the bathroom, he reportedly offered a student a hypodermic needle.  The article explains that the man reportedly entered the school during student arrival.  As a result, he was able to get in through a door that was not locked.

The man, 43 year old Jacob Horwitch, was arrested and charged with several crimes, including criminal trespass and violation of privacy.  There is no word on when he is due to make an appearance in court.

At about 4 PM on Monday, the principal of the school, Caitlin LeClair, sent a letter to parents.  That message said, in part:

The safety of our students is our top priority. We are taking this opportunity to review building safety measures with students and staff. We believe in fostering a supportive and connected school community. The best way to keep our school safe is to connect and to look out for each other. If something doesn’t feel right, we are encouraging everyone to speak up

So, where was the school's resource officer when this happened?  It does not appear that the school has a school resource officer.  While we are not sure about the Portland middle schools, we do know that in July of 2020, the Portland school board voted to eliminate high school resource officers.

The note that was sent out by the principal also said that they intend to reevaluate their security measures.

NOTE: All suspects are considered innocent until being found guilty in a court of law

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