By Mary O’KEEFE

Brandon Santora, who in February trespassed onto the Crescenta Valley High School campus resulting in the school being placed in lockdown, is still confined at the Pitchess Detention Center under the Dept. of Mental Health.

Santora, 41, of Torrance entered the school early in the morning of Feb. 1 as students were arriving. Santora walked the hallways of the school carrying a duffle bag. He spoke to students and teachers. He arrived on campus when the school is traditionally very busy with arriving students, staff and authorized visiting personnel; it was not immediately known if he was a visiting speaker at one of the classes. After it was determined he did not belong on campus, the administration and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept. decided in an abundance of caution to activate a lockdown. The suspect had left the campus prior to the lockdown but the staff did not know that at the time. The lockdown allowed them to search the school for any trespasser.

Santora’s description was released and with the help of the public he was found at a nearby business. He still had the duffle bag in his possession at the time and was positively identified as the person who trespassed onto campus. Santora was placed under arrest for trespassing and booked at the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station. Due to the misdemeanor charge the suspect was released a few hours later.

No weapons or suspicious devices were found on his person at the time of the arrest.

Two days later Santora was taken into custody in Glendale on unrelated crimes. He was charged on one count of possession of child (individual under the age of 18) pornography and a second count of criminal threats.

He had several court dates but he did not appear due to “medical issues.”

According to Los Angeles District Attorney, Santora has not yet been sentenced but is in maximum confinement with a release date of July 3, 2025. He is being held in Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic under the Dept. of Mental Health.