Security Guard Arrested for Having Gun at School
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A security guard at Corona del Mar High School was arrested after he brought an unloaded handgun onto campus to impress a student, police said.
James Bradley Holthaus, 36, of Santa Ana was arrested Wednesday before classes began. Officers said Holthaus brought the weapon to the campus and then took a student to his car to show off the .40-caliber weapon. The student told his parents, who notified school officials.
Holthaus, one of three security officers employed by the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, has been placed on paid administrative leave, said Jamie Castellanos, assistant superintendent of the school district.
“He clearly used poor judgment in the role he had as a security guard,” Newport Beach Police Sgt. Steve Shulman said. “In light of the violence at schools, this is a sensitive issue.”
Except for law enforcement officers, state law prohibits anyone--including security guards--from carrying guns on campus.
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