Cottonwood man accused of kidnapping, other offenses following Clarkdale school incident: PD
AZ man accused of voyeurism at school
Police in Clarkdale say 22-year-old Micah Hines has been arrested in connection with an incident at Clarkdale Jerome Elementary School that prompted students and staff members at the school to shelter in place on March 24.
CLARKDALE, Ariz. - Police in Clarkdale say they have made an arrest in connection with an incident that happened at a school in the area on March 24.
What we know:
In a statement released on March 25, Clarkdale Police identified the person arrested as 22-year-old Micah Andrew Hines of Cottonwood. They say Hines was identified through tips from the public.
The incident on March 24 happened at Clarkdale Jerome School.
Clarkdale is a Yavapai County community that is located about 107 miles to the north of Downtown Phoenix. Cottonwood is located next to Clarkdale.
The backstory:
The incident, as mentioned earlier, happened on March 24.
Per the Clarkdale Jerome School District's website, the school was placed under shelter in place, due to a man who was interacting with students on campus.
What Investigators Said:
"Officers contacted and interviewed Hines, who confessed to jumping the fence to access the school campus, hiding in the girls’ bathroom at the back playground, recording students who entered the bathroom, and grabbing a child by the arm. The victims were able to escape and notify school authorities," read a portion of the statement.
Hines, according to investigators, was captured on surveillance cameras.
Police credited members of the public for "widely sharing and responding to social media posts," which they say helped officers identify Hines. They also credit "the witnesses and victims who were able to recall significant details of the suspect’s clothing and appearance."
What's next:
Police say Hine is accused of two counts of kidnapping, two counts of voyeurism, two counts of surreptitious recording, two counts of aggravated assault of a minor, one count of trespassing, and one count of interfering with an educational institution.
Meanwhile, Clarkdale Jerome School District officials say an "informational family and community meeting" will take place at the school gym at 5:30 p.m. on March 25 to discuss the incident. Clarkdale Police officials say their officers will also attend the meeting.