Torrance Unified School District cameras aided police officers in the arrest of a 20-year-old man suspected of vehicle burglary, officials said on Thursday.
Officers on Sunday night responded to a resident’s report of a suspicious person peering into cars with a flashlight, according to the Torrance Police Department. Authorities said the suspect, Alec Meyen of Torrance, fled toward North High School, where video surveillance showed him hiding in a stairwell.
The school district installed a surveillance system in 2016 comprised of more than 1,000 cameras that were set up in over 30 different campuses to “enhance student safety and security,” according to the police department’s press release.
As the department can view surveillance footage in real-time during emergencies, the officer-in-charge was able to guide patrol officers directly to the suspect, the Police Department said.
Meyen was arrested for vehicle burglary, and many of the stolen items were returned to owners, according to police.