A report of a suspicious person in Polliwog Park Wednesday morning triggered a temporary lockdown at several schools in Manhattan Beach.
According to a school district official, a group of students from Manhattan Beach Middle School reported a man wearing what looked to be a bulletproof vest running through the park, which borders the school.
As a precaution, several campuses, including the middle school, Meadows Elementary and Manhattan Beach Preschool, were placed on lock down for about 20 minutes.
"In the event of an intruder we have a standard procedure to ensure student safety," said Carolyn Seaton, executive director of student services for Manhattan Beach Unified. "In this case, the lockdown was voluntarily."
Students crouched under their desks while police and district officials verified the safety of the campuses. The lockdown was called off around 11 a.m.
"It turns out it was probably a jogger cutting through (the campus)," a Manhattan Beach police spokesperson said.
Indeed, the suspicious person turned out to be a jogger wearing a weighted vest, Seaton said.
Polliwog Park is owned by the school district and leased to the city of Manhattan Beach.
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