Gun found in classroom, teacher suspended

SANTA ANA, Calif., April 3 (UPI) -- An elementary school teacher in Southern California was arrested after her students found an unloaded handgun and ammunition in an unlocked cabinet.

Jayne DeArmond faces charges that include a felony, possession of a gun on a school campus, and a misdemeanor count of child endangerment, the Los Angeles Times reported. She was arrested Wednesday and released on $20,000 bail.

A student at the Diamond Elementary School in Santa Ana discovered the gun Wednesday morning and told a teacher's aide. The aide reported the find to the principal, who immediately called police.

Angela Burrell, a spokeswoman for the Santa Ana Unified School District, said the gun was confiscated a few minutes after the student found it.

Parents, who were told about the gun when they picked up their children, were worried and puzzled by the find.

"This is a real tranquil area," said Angelica Vasquez, a longtime resident. "We haven't had any gang problems, so why would she be worried so much that she would bring a gun into a classroom? Was it for her own protection?"