Emily Kelley / Roundup
Campus Sheriffs will now be administering increased patrols and security checks in the library, according to Deputy Al Guerrero.
These new security measures come after an alleged stalker was detained on campus on March 3.
Charles Pearson, 33, was discovered in the library after sheriffs received a tip that he was on campus from the Pasadena Police Department.
Pearson was suspected of sending death threats to Dr. Drew Pinsky, one of the hosts of KROQ’s “Loveline” and VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab” series.
Pearson was arrested and charged with one count felony stalking and five felony counts of making criminal threats, to which he plead not guilty on March 5, according to court documents.
Since the arrest on campus, sheriffs have asked that all on-duty officers and professors keep their keys on them, according to Guerrero.
Admissions and Records declined to say whether Pearson was a former student, but confirmed that he was not currently attending.
Pearson’s arrest was just one of three arrests of non-students in the past month.
According to Sheriff’s Deputy Ron Nohles, two juveniles were arrested on Feb. 14 for stealing a golf cart from plant facilities and drove it around campus.
They were arrested for grand theft, assault with a deadly weapon and felony vandalism. Both of the suspects were not students.
Four days later, two males were detained in the North Gym on suspicion of burglary.
The sheriffs did not find any evidence of a burglary. Even though no evidence was found, situations like this do leave people wondering about their safety. The intentions of some people are not always evident, so being wary is important. Even if it is to do with safety within the home, ensuring that the home is secure at all times will hopefully prevent a situation like this happening. If your home has recently been burgled, it may be worth getting the locks changed, and up the security. Additionally, with companies like Lock King, updating the security levels may not be as tough as some people may think. It’s always best to be safe than sorry.
If you have been wrongfully arrested for burglary then you may need to contact someone like these philadelphia criminal lawyers for legal help. However one of the suspects, Thomas Court, 18, was arrested for possession of a switchblade and possession of a knife on school grounds. Court is also not a student.
“I’m proud of the way the Pierce Sheriff’s Deputies, under Team Leader Ron Nohles, handled this incident,” said interim President Dr. Joy McCaslin, in an E-mail. “They effectively resolved the situation and I appreciate their consistent efforts to keep our campus safe.”
Pearson was found in the library after a post on his blog said we was on campus. The Pasadena Police seized the computer he had been using, according to Mark Henderson, manager of College Information systems.
The computers in the library require no login to use, which was how Pearson and other non-students, can access them.
Other community colleges in the area, such as Cerritos College and Moorpark College, require a student I.D. login in order to use the computers on campus.
Henderson said that changing the system to require a student I.D. login is planned for the future, but they do not have the infrastructure or personnel required at that moment.
Pearson will appear in court tomorrow at the Pasadena District Court.
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(From left to right) Sheriff’s Team Leader Ron Nohles and Deputy Al Guerrero detain Charles Pearson, an alleged stalker, outside the library on March 3. Pearson is scheduled to appear at the Pasadena Superior Court tomorrow at 8 (Brit Sharon / Roundup )