SUFFOLK, Va. — A case involving a man charged with trespassing at a Suffolk elementary school is progressing.
Vontrail Thorpe is accused of barricading himself with two students in a bathroom last summer.
On June 14, 2024, the last day of school, police say Thorpe slipped past a teacher who was holding the door open for students. Surveillance video obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request shows teachers, the principal, and other staff attempting to push the door open.
No one was hurt during the incident.
After approximately six minutes, a Suffolk police officer arrived and arrested Thorpe, who remains in custody.
Thorpe did not appear in court for the preliminary hearing on Tuesday. The prosecutor started by stating to the judge that while Thorpe had previously been found incompetent to stand trial, a new report shows he is competent to stand trial.
Testimonies were heard from a safety monitor and a school resource officer who responded to the scene. The officer described that Thorpe “said several times that somebody was trying to kill him.” The SRO also stated that “he was paranoid” and “he said he wasn’t trying to hurt anybody.”
Previously, Thorpe informed authorities that he did not have children at Kilby Shores Elementary. On Tuesday, the prosecutor explained that, according to Thorpe, he had been staying at a friend’s apartment near the school and experienced a "paranoia episode," admitting to using cocaine the night before.
Thorpe's attorney, Ronilee Gomez, requested that the judge dismiss felony charges of breaking and entering, trespassing, and abduction, asserting that “he did not know these children were in there” and “he did not come into the school to abduct or hurt anybody,” arguing that intent must be proven.
Thorpe faces five felony charges and one misdemeanor:
- Two counts felony abduction
- One count felony trespassing
- One count felony possession of a schedule I/II substance on school property
- One count felony breaking and entering
- One count misdemeanor disorderly conduct
The judge certified the charges to a grand jury, expected to convene next month.
