It was a parent’s worst nightmare early Friday morning at a Richmond daycare, when an intruder broke into the centre.
Parents who dropped off their children noticed a flurry of police cars outside of Royal Academy near Knight Street and Cambie Road.
Carolina Cunha’s husband was dropping off their three-year-old when he saw the officers.
“It was the most terrifying moment of my life,” she said about getting the call from her husband.
She says the man was holding what appeared to be a crowbar. When he couldn’t get through the front door, he went to the back and managed to get inside.
As that was happening, parents called Richmond RCMP. But Cunha says officers took too long to respond, claiming it was 20 minutes until they arrived.
“I cannot understand how police can take that long to be in the spot,” she said. “When there were 20 kids that were inside the daycare? It’s really an emergency situation. They should act more quick, faster.”
According to Richmond RCMP, it was almost 10 minutes exactly from the time a call was made until the time an officer arrived.
“We don’t have targeted times,” said Staff Sgt. Gurbir Mondair when asked how long the call should have taken.
“But what I can tell you is this, our risk assessment is always ongoing given what information is provided to the call taker at that time,” he said.
He says this was a random incident and police are still investigating a motive behind why the man wanted inside the daycare.
The suspect remains in custody as the investigation continues.
Despite parents saying he was holding a crowbar, police say he did not have a weapon.
Although the suspect remains in custody, Cunha is still on edge about leaving her three-year-old at the daycare.
“I’m really afraid,” she said. “How about if the guy is freed tomorrow and he comes back to do the same thing?”
Royal Academy did not respond to a request for comment from CTV News.