Knowledge Isn’t Purpose Of School Interloper’s Visit Teacher Reports Brazen Attempt At Theft Of Her Wallet In Classroom

Police are investigating the attempted theft of a teacher’s wallet from her Ramsey Elementary classroom by a stranger during lunch this week.

No children were in the classroom when a teacher walked in on the woman, who escaped before administrators could confront her about the incident.

Teacher Karen Troxel noticed the woman, described as between 35 and 40 years old, seated at her desk Tuesday when she returned from lunch.

The woman, who was leaning toward the floor underneath the desk where Troxel kept her purse, told the teacher she wanted to register her children for school, according to a Coeur d’Alene police report.

Troxel told the woman to follow her to the office and asked her to wait in the lobby while she went to get help. Witnesses told police the woman acted as if she was in a hurry and walked out of the school, the report said.

Another teacher, Robert Hamilton, ran outside to stop the woman and get her license plate number but was unsuccessful. She was last seen riding away in a motor home traveling east on Kathleen Avenue.

Troxel found her purse where she left it. Her wallet, which had been taken out of the purse, was found on the floor under the desk. Nothing appeared to be missing.

The woman was described as white, 5 feet 2 inches tall and 135 pounds. She had dark, wavy, shoulder length hair and was wearing a tight white shirt, blue jeans and gold wirerimmed glasses.

A white man, 40 to 45 years old, was seen driving the older-model motor home the woman got into, according to the police report. The motor home had older-style Washington license plates, possibly beginning with the first three letters KEV.

, DataTimes