ST. PETERSBURG — A teacher reported she was carjacked at gunpoint Tuesday morning at Bay Vista Fundamental Elementary School and police are still searching for the suspect.
The 37-year-old woman, whose name wasn't released, told police that a man demanded the keys to her 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander at about 7 a.m. and also took her purse, St. Petersburg police spokesman Mike Puetz said. She was in the school's parking lot at 5900 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. S, she reported. Police found the SUV about eight blocks away half an hour later.
The woman said the suspect wore a gray hooded sweatshirt, but police released no other details about the man's description. Officers plan to increase their presence at Bay Vista.
A school department spokeswoman confirmed the incident, but wouldn't release further information about the teacher. The school's principal, Kristina Bauman, sent a scripted message to parents and teachers saying that all students were safe.
"One of our staff members was robbed in the school parking lot. The staff member is OK and has assisted police by providing details of the incident," Bauman said, according to a transcript of the message released by the school department. "The safety of our entire school community is a priority and we are taking this concerning matter very seriously."
Pennye Thornton was at Bay Vista Tuesday afternoon to pick up her great nephew, a fourth-grader at the school. She heard about the incident through her niece, who received the school's automated message. The increased police presence put Thornton at ease, she said, but noted that the school's proactive approach didn't surprise her.
"I can't see it being any other way because the school does a great job keeping the kids safe," she said.