UPDATE: Chirag Patel Charged With Voyeurism, Burglary Unrelated To Elementary School.
BY: ANDREW COLTON | Editor and Publisher
UPDATE at 6:59 p.m. — Chirag Patel’s booking information was just obtained by BocaNewsNow.com. He is being held without bond on a charge of burglary and a charge of ‘sex offense – voyeurism 1st offense.”
UPDATE at 5:05 p.m. — The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office tells BocaNewsNow.com that Chirag Patel was arrested for Burglary and Voyeurism, UNRELATED to anything involving Whispering Pines Elementary. We are awaiting the arrest report. The Palm Beach County School District provided to BocaNewsNow.com a copy of a message to Whispering Pines Elementary School parents. We are publishing it at the end of this report.
UPDATE at 1:07 p.m. — The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is the arresting agency. We are awaiting an update.
UPDATE at 11:06 a.m. — The subject was removed by police and was escorted to a police car while wearing handcuffs. We are awaiting potential charge information.
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2024 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Chirag Patel, the man banned from the grounds of Whispering Pines Elementary School in West Boca Raton, was detained Thursday morning by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Images provided to BocaNewsNow.com show Patel sitting in front of several deputies at the school. It was not immediately clear why he was detained.
Patel, as we have reported, spewed what are described as Anti-Semitic statements at school employees last week and was “banned” from the school that his child attends. However, he was seen on campus on Friday and parents were outraged that principal Barbara Riemer did not call police at that time. Patel posted a series of Anti-Semitic statements to Facebook, then invoked the “Sandy Hook” elementary school massacre in posts updated late Wednesday. Patel previously live streamed interaction with law enforcement in his home, yards from the school.
It was not immediately clear if Patel was taken into custody. The Palm Beach County School District has not released a statement regarding the morning’s events. It was also not clear if the Palm Beach County School District police, or the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, is the lead agency. Check back for updates.
UPDATE: This is the message transmitted to parents from the school principal late Thursday: “I want you to have the latest information and to keep you informed about the safety and security of our campus.
The individual who posted the recent reprehensible comments on social media was arrested this morning by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. The arrest occurred off campus on charges unrelated to the school. However, it’s important to me that I continue communicating with you about school safety and security. Please understand that because this is an ongoing police matter, with the coordination of multiple law enforcement agencies, we are not able to provide further details regarding the arrest.
A noticeable increase in police presence will remain in place. Today, you may have noticed that we are installing fence screening for the visually-open areas of the campus. Each Whispering Pines team member remains vigilant and will immediately report any suspicious activity or individuals on or near campus.
There is nothing more important to myself and the School District than the safety and security of campus. Please know I am committed to providing a supportive learning environment for all students and staff. I understand that this has been challenging for our school community, including for our students, families and staff. And I appreciate how many of you have come together during this time.
Thank you to our law enforcement partners for supporting our school’s safety and security.
And thank you, families and staff, for your continued support of Whispering Pines Elementary School. Safety and security remain my top priorities as your principal. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or your child’s teacher.”
So scary and equally scary that the principal didn’t call the police when he was doing this and allowed him to stay on campus. I looked up information on this principal, and she seems like she is terrible and makes very poor decisions and is terrible to her staff.
She is the absolute worst principal. She’s extremely disrespectful to parents and staff. The best staff members have left the school because of her. It’s a shame that she remains in this position of power.
Why do anti semites choose to live in predominantly Jewish communities?
How can a parent be banned from school his child attends? That is extremely controversial. I understand that the parent is wrong by making such antisemitic statements, but to designate an area on the map, in this case not only the school building but the school grounds, that the legitimate parent cannot have a contact with his own child sounds just as wrong.
Seriously? Are you actually questioning why a man spewing hate and school shootings is being banned from the school campus ?? What if he was spewing racist remarks instead of antisemetic?
Ana, think you need to give this matter a bit more thought. There’s obviously something very wrong with this person, mentally ill I’m guessing, so yes, no way should he be on or near the school grounds. He’s an apparent danger and him bringing up the Sandy Hook massacre in his fb rants is even more disturbing.
No, the best thing is to make sure he can’t & won’t step foot on the school grounds again for the safety of everybody. Time for the public to be pro-active with deranged folks like this as the public rights outweigh his personal rights!
It’s because this man has been making threats towards the principal since last year. That’s why not sus those are the facts
What planet do you live on.
Really, are you kidding lady? (Ana) This man could be a danger to the school kids and staff Why would a school take a risk like this. The man appears to be a bit unhinged
I find it a bit unsettling that the school has not been on any kind of code. Like code yellow maybe. This guy was ON school campus after he was told there was a restraining order against him.
The principal who wrote that letter needs a proofreader. It’s not written well at all.
As soon as he stepped onto campus, he should have been arrested!
Move the Principal (she’s been there too long). She should have been outside at drop off and pick up daily. This is not her first merry go round and even after warnings , she continues to not handle situations with her staff and students best interest and safety in mind.
Where’s the mother of this child? Had CPS been contacted to do a child welfare check?
This man is a threat to society and Homeland Security should be involved. Must another school shooting occur before something is done?
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