Crescenta Valley High Teacher Arrested on DUI

Crescenta Valley High School teacher Michel Heckman, 59, was in downtown Glendale for a Glendale Teachers Association rally on Thursday, Feb. 8. After the rally he went to a local restaurant for dinner and, according to a police report, drinks. From there he went on a wild ride that left a few vehicles dented and a foot chase that ended when Heckman allegedly punched a man in the face and tossed him into bushes.

According to Glendale police, Heckman, a Burbank resident, began his odyssey around 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Heckman was first involved in an accident on Glendale Avenue at Elk Avenue in Glendale. According to witnesses, a man driving a white van had stopped at a crosswalk for a pedestrian when Heckman rear ended the van. Both parties paused, then as the van pulled forward and stopped, Heckman drove on, heading west onto Elk Avenue.

At seeing this, the van’s driver followed him, honking his horn to get Heckman’s attention. Witnesses decided to get into their vehicles and follow the pair. According to the police report, at one point Heckman slammed on his brakes and the van rear-ended him.

Heckman, the van’s driver and the witnesses drove from Lomita Avenue to Everett Avenue, then to Chestnut Avenue. Heckman allegedly hit two other vehicles during this time. Everyone finally came to a stop in a cul-de-sac on Chestnut, where Heckman drove onto a resident’s lawn. The resident said he saw Heckman, the driver of the van and witnesses exit their vehicles. Heckman began to run down the street, followed by the others. The witnesses reported that at one point Heckman turned and punched the van’s driver in the face and threw him into some nearby bushes.

When the Glendale police officer found him, Heckman was walking on a sidewalk on Raleigh Street. Heckman, who reportedly cooperated with the officer, told him that he had a “couple of drinks” during dinner, according to the police report. He told police that he wasn’t leaving the scene of accident but was trying to get away from the van driver and that he felt it was that driver that caused one of the accidents. He was arrested and transported to Glendale jail. He was later released on $20,000 bail.

Heckman teaches math at CVHS. His arrest was the subject of conversation throughout the high school campus.

“He was a very nice guy,” said student Emily Anderson. “He would bring us burritos. He was a very interesting teacher. We can really understand what he is teaching.”

Anderson, like many others interviewed, found the news difficult to believe.

“[I was] extremely shocked. I don’t really think he would do that,” Anderson said.

“Although it is Glendale Unified School District’s policy not to comment on any employee. He [Heckman] is not presently in the classroom,” said Greg Franklin, superintendent for secondary schools.