William L. Russell

CHERRY TWP — An alert teacher and school police may have thwarted the nefarious plans of a reportedly drunken homeless man who showed up Friday morning at Moniteau Junior/Senior High School with multiple weapons.

William L. Russell, 36, no known address, faces multiple charges and was housed in the Butler County Prison on $100,000 cash bond.

State Trooper Casey Fuller reported Saturday morning that a teacher at the high school noticed a maroon Honda Odyssey van parked in the school’s south parking lot with a male in the driver’s seat at about 8:40 a.m. Friday.

The unnamed teacher approached the vehicle and asked the male what he needed. He responded that his child was sick on the school bus and he was there to pick the child up.

The man, later identified as Russell, then drove to the front of the high school and parked for a brief time before leaving school property.

The cautious teacher alerted school police officers of the incident.

While performing normal security rounds at 10:20 a.m., school officer Thomas Pella saw a van matching the same description parked at a cemetery adjacent to the high school property.

Pella called school officer Garrick Lapusnak, who also viewed the van in the cemetery. Officers then called state police, and Fuller was dispatched to the cemetery.

“On scene, I observed the vehicle in question (within) eyesight of Moniteau High School,” Fuller wrote in his report.

Fuller reported finding Russell asleep with the van running. He woke the driver and asked for his driver’s license.

According to Fuller’s report, he smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming from the van and performed a battery of field sobriety tests on Russell, which he failed.

Russell reportedly told Fuller he was in the school parking lot to receive cell service, and admitted to the trooper that he was not the parent or guardian of a student at Moniteau. School administrators later confirmed that Russell did not have a parental connection to the school, Fuller wrote.

Fuller continued in his report that he observed a bottle of vodka and a green gun case inside the Odyssey, and was told by Russell that he would find two shotguns and a pistol when searching the vehicle.

In addition to the loaded shotguns and pistol, Fuller reported finding three knives in the vehicle.

Russell was arrested and charged with possessing weapons on school property, driving under the influence of alcohol, disorderly conduct, and careless driving.

Russell was arraigned at 5 p.m. Friday before District Judge Lewis Stoughton, who set the cash bond.

He is scheduled to appear March 26 for a preliminary hearing.

Authorities did not release details regarding Russell’s intentions or reasons for having weapons in his vehicle on school property. The case remains under investigation.