Bounty Hunters Storm Elementary School

IRVING, Texas - Irving police are still trying to find out why bounty hunters took down a felony suspect on an elementary school campus Thursday morning, causing the campus to go into lockdown.

Police and school officials said two vehicles drove onto school property and blocked off 31-year-old Miguel Coronado in his car as he dropped off a child at Las Colinas Elementary.

Coronado was taken into custody by four people who represented themselves as bounty hunters. He apparently had outstanding felony warrants from Tarrant County.

“The bounty hunters approached the car and what we are being told is they had weapons. They had them drawn. Again, there is a lot of investigating we’ve still got to do to determine all the facts on this,” said Irving police spokesman David Tull.

As the bounty hunters took Coronado into custody, school officials said teachers brought the children inside. They sent letters out Thursday afternoon telling parents about the incident.

Many parents were upset.

“It’s kind of scary to think that bounty hunters could run up into your kids school and God knows who they are going to grab. And from what I heard they were armed,” said Greg Hill.

Melissa Twinning said she didn’t like the idea at all.

“They said they had weapons and guns and there were some kids that saw that,” she said. “Definitely, choose more wisely next time please for the sake of our kids.”

But the owner of A-Snoops Investigations thinks the incident has been blown way out of proportion.

Phil Guiles said his employees did not use any guns and he is adamant they did nothing wrong in apprehending Coronado.

Irving police still plan to look into it.

“We’re wanting to check and make sure, just like if police were involved in the situation, were procedures followed? Were there any laws or rules broken as far as their licensing or anything like that?” Tull said. “Why did they choose this location on an individual that was apparently bad enough that needed to be taken down in that method? Why did they take him down at that location?”

Guiles said his company is licensed to operate in Texas his employees apprehended Coronado at the school because they knew he would be there.