The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office charged a 41-year-old Port Charlotte woman with Aggravated Stalking and Grand Theft following a series of incidents that led to a Venice elementary school being put on temporary lockdown.

 

Deputies were called to Garden Elementary School Monday just before 3:00 p.m., to assist the Sarasota County Schools Police Department in response to a possible threat made by Kimberly Brazell, DOB 10/05/77. According to the initial reports, Brazell contacted the victim whose child attends the school and threatened to harm the child. The victim contacted school officials who, in an abundance of caution, placed the school on temporary lockdown. Patrol deputies responded and with assistance from the agency’s K-9 and Aviation Units, established a perimeter to locate Brazell. Officials with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office located Brazell and took her into protective custody. Students were incrementally released from the campus.

 

Through investigation, detectives identified five separate incidents dating back to August in which Brazell vandalized the victim’s property and stole his phone. A report taken by the Arcadia Police Department on September 20 also revealed Brazell stole the victim’s firearm from his vehicle.

 

On Thursday with assistance from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, Brazell was taken into custody for Grand Theft and Aggravated Stalking. She remains in custody today on $275,000 bond.

 

The investigation is continuing and additional charges may be pending from other local law enforcement agencies.