Cape Elizabeth schools were locked down briefly Wednesday morning when a former student showed up on the three-school campus about 8:45 a.m. The staff asked the man to leave, but he returned an hour later, school officials said.

Police arrested Nathaniel Lavallee, 25, and charged him with trespassing.

Lavallee, who attended Cape Elizabeth schools, was taken to the Cumberland County Jail and released after paying $200 cash bail, according to a jail intake worker.

Cape Elizabeth police told WCSH-TV that Lavallee showed up at the elementary school and asked a teacher for money. The school reported the incident to police because he is not the parent of a student. When police arrived, Lavallee had walked over to Cape Elizabeth High School. Police gave him a ride home and told him not to go back to the schools.

The television station reported that about an hour later, Lavallee returned and tried to enter the middle school. He was taken into custody by police.

“Based on the information we have at this time, we have no reason to believe that the visitor intended any harm to students or staff,” Superintendent Meredith Nadeau said in an email to parents. “That said, we will be working closely with the police department and our school staff to continue to ensure the safety of our students and employees.”

“While this incident had a good outcome, it is an unfortunate reminder that we can never take the safety of our schools for granted – even in Cape Elizabeth,” Nadeau said.

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