Several students were arrested Tuesday at Seminole High School after police said they held two students against their will and stole their belongings.
The school was placed on a Code Yellow lockdown, but parents were never told why.
One of the victims told police he was in a bathroom inside the Health Academy building when the group of teenagers, ages 15 and 16, held him against his will and tried to steal his phone.
Police said a similar situation occurred when the suspects forcibly took another student's backpack.
"It was scary because we didn't know what was going on," said student Kayla Blair.
The students who were arrested are facing juvenile charges of kidnapping, robbery, battery and disturbing the peace.
"There were dogs and cops and helicopters, and just everybody running around, and chaos,” Blair said.
Parents said they never got an email or phone call about what specifically was going on at the school.
“I had asked why I had not received an email yet because they usually send a voice recording as well as an email, and nothing has been sent out to any parent,” said parent Carla Sisinni.
A school spokesman explained that Tuesday’s events were atypical.
Five schools in the area had already been placed under a brief Code Yellow situation due to police activity in the area for an unrelated incident.
The event that transpired with who students that were arrested on and near campus was a separate incident, and not something that would normally trigger an email or phone blast from the school, officials said.
Sanford police are still investigating.
School officials say they have had incidents with these students in the past.
They believe there were more students involved and there may be more arrests.
Cox Media Group
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