Community Voices … with Jimmy Forbis and Anisha Munshi: Recent incident at elementary school addressed in letter to community

The Gilroy Police Department is actively investigating the criminal case

By Jimmy Forbis and Anisha Munshi

Editor’s note: This is a message from the City of Gilroy Administrator Jimmy Forbis and Gilroy Unified District Superintendent Dr. Anisha Munshi about recent events at and near Luigi Aprea Elementary School of a potentially dangerous situation last month.

Jimmy Forbis

Markus Beck

The city of Gilroy and the Gilroy Unified School District (GUSD) are releasing the following community letter to address the recent events at and near Luigi Aprea Elementary School. This letter informs our community about the events and our approach to disseminating information to the public, parents, and guardians of our students.

On the morning of Feb. 26, Markus Beck arrived at Luigi Aprea Elementary’s front office. He inquired about an individual who he thought was working at the school. Upon learning that no such individual was employed at the school, Mr. Beck apologized and left the front office.

Mr. Beck remained on school property, outside of the fenced area. As he stood near the fence on the north side of the school, he engaged with another staff member, again inquiring about the individual. Due to concerns about Mr. Beck’s ongoing presence and repeated inquiries, the Gilroy Police Department  was contacted by school staff. The school’s principal conversed with Mr. Beck, urging him to move away from the school area. Mr. Beck showed a photo of the individual he was looking for, received confirmation that the person did not work at the school, and then walked back to his nearby residence.

Dr. Anisha Munshi

Later that same morning, two GPD officers responded to a call from the school office and arrived at the school around the time Mr. Beck returned to his residence. Soon after, the GPD School Resource Officer arrived at the school. GPD initially discussed Mr. Beck’s interactions with school staff.  GPD then located Mr. Beck at his residence on Mockingbird Lane. Mr. Beck cooperated with GPD officers and agreed to stay away from the school. During all interactions with school staff and GPD, Mr. Beck was cooperative.

On early Wednesday, Feb. 28, GPD responded to a hit-and-run incident in a location far from the school and arrested Mr. Beck for driving under the influence.

A search of the vehicle revealed two legally registered but illegally stored firearms in his car.  Mr. Beck was arrested and booked into the county jail where he remains. GPD then sought and obtained a search warrant for Mr. Beck’s residence as well as a gun violence restraining order, which was authorized by the Santa Clara County Superior Court. During the execution of the search warrant GPD noticed a strong presence of gas at Mr. Beck’s residence.

Gilroy Fire and PG&E responded and instituted further precautionary measures, including neighborhood evacuations and the recommendation to GUSD to lockdown Luigi Aprea. Mr. Beck’s residence was searched, and additional firearms were confiscated. GPD confirmed all firearms registered to Mr. Beck are accounted for and have been seized.

On Friday, March 1, further investigation prompted GPD to serve an additional search warrant at Mr. Beck’s home, uncovering additional evidence. Mr. Beck is now facing multiple felony counts and is currently held in custody without bail. His motive and/or intent remains under investigation.

The city of Gilroy and GUSD remain committed to the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and community and will continue working collaboratively with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office to protect the safety of our community.

We understand the community’s need for timely and accurate information, especially when it concerns the safety of our children.

In today’s social media environment, information is produced rapidly through sources that often make assumptions and contain inaccuracies. The premature disclosure of details about an ongoing investigation can potentially impede law enforcement efforts and jeopardize criminal prosecution, thus, affecting our ability to seek justice and ensure accountability. The city and GUSD are committed to providing accurate and timely information to the community in a manner that does not jeopardize law enforcement’s ability to conduct investigations.

GUSD is committed to improving safety practices and protocols and has already begun reviewing internal and external communications during and following the incident. GUSD will also provide more robust safety and security training for all district staff. The city’s partnership with GUSD is essential to ensuring the safety and security of all students and educational staff. The City’s School Resource Officers continue to be vital partners in keeping our staff and students safe.

The Gilroy Police Department is actively investigating the criminal case, in collaboration with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. We urge anyone who has information about this case to reach out to Detective Jason Greathead at (408) 846-0373 or [email protected].

Jimmy Forbis is the Gilroy city administrator. Dr. Anisha Munshi is the superintendent of the Gilroy Unified School District. This letter was released March 6 by the city of Gilroy. It was slightly edited for newspaper style.