Molotov cocktail components found at elementary school; three in custody

Three juveniles are in custody after an incident at Torrey Pines Elementary School in La Jolla.

San Diego Police Department’s Northern Division patrol responded to an alarm call at the school at 2:20 a.m. March 30, according to police Lt. Daniel Meyer.

When police arrived, they heard voices inside the school’s gym. As more units arrived, three juveniles exited the gym and fled on foot to a nearby canyon.

With the assistance of the department’s Airborne Law Enforcement unit, all three juveniles were located and detained.

A police search of the school grounds revealed components to make numerous Molotov cocktails were located, necessitating a call to the department’s Metro Arson Strike Team (MAST).

MAST responded to the scene and is now handling the investigation, Meyer said.

All three juveniles were released to their parents; no other information will be released at this time due to the ongoing investigation and the fact that the suspects are minors.

Footage of San Diego police response to a break in and Molotov cocktail components found at Torrey Pines Elementary school in La Jolla, as captured by Newsreel Media San Diego.

Elisabeth Frausto

Elisabeth Frausto has been reporting on and writing about La Jolla since 2019. With dozens of local and state journalism awards to her name, Elisabeth knows the industry as well as she knows her community. When she’s not covering all things 92037, you’ll find her with coffee in hand staring at the sea.