PHOENIX — Parents in the Washington Elementary School District are demanding answers this week after a convicted sex offender allegedly entered Orangewood Elementary School in central Phoenix, led a young girl into an empty classroom, and assaulted her.
On Wednesday, Phoenix police say 25-year-old Abel Gblah slipped in behind a student as they entered the school, claimed to be a doctor, and then convinced a young girl to accompany him into an unused classroom. Once inside, investigators say he sexually assaulted her. The school district confirmed on Nov. 21 that the suspect is a former student, stating in a news release that Abel Gblah attended the school from 2012 to 2015.
In the days that followed, police increased their presence on and around the Orangewood campus. But for parents and staff, the deeper concern remains: how someone with Gblah’s background made it onto school grounds in the first place…