Racine elementary school break-in; man charged with burglary, more
RACINE, Wis. - A Racine man is accused of breaking into an elementary school on Monday, Aug. 5.
Prosecutors said 25-year-old Jaquan Ponder was found inside Red Apple Elementary School after 10 p.m. that night.
An alarm was going off inside when officers arrived at the school, according to a criminal complaint. Security cameras showed a person walking around inside with a flashlight.
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Officers found a broken window on the east side of the school and went inside. Shortly after entering, the complaint states they saw a man – since identified as Ponder – and arrested him. No one else was found inside.
Ponder had a "small metal hammer with various tools attached to it" and a flashlight labeled "Rm 203" in his possession, per the complaint. A building engineer who came to reset the alarm told officers the flashlight belonged to the school.
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Once in custody, prosecutors said Ponder told police he was homeless and looking for a place to sleep due to the inclement weather. Court records, though, listed an address for Ponder on the city's far north side.
The complaint states Ponder said he found the flashlight in a dumpster and denied breaking into the school, but asked "several hypothetical questions" about punishments related to breaking into the building. He also made several "possibly incriminating statements" that demonstrated knowledge of the school.
Ponder is charged with burglary, possession of burglarious tools and criminal damage to property. His cash bond was set at $1,000 at his initial court appearance on Aug. 6.