Parents in Sylmar fear the man accused of threatening kids might get away with light punishment

LOS ANGELES - Terrified parents at Hubbard Street Elementary ran to the school earlier this week after news of a campus lockdown. Wednesday's security scare stemmed from a man allegedly making threats against children.

After the Los Angeles Police Department said officers couldn't find the man, the school lifted its lockdown. However, parents outside the school claimed they saw the suspect and even saw him approaching the campus.

Witnesses say the man accused of making the threats and exposing himself to the students in the yard was eventually held down in a citizen's arrest. LAPD eventually arrested the man, later identified as 30-year-old Antonio Montelongo.

The Sylmar resident was booked on one felony count of exposing himself with bail set at $50,000.

But what started out as a story about heroic parents quickly turned into a tale of angry parents, when they found out the LA County DA George Gascón's office rejected the felony case and kicked it down to the LA City Attorney as a misdemeanor. 

Montelongo has no priors, but parents say he told them he wanted to "kill them all" when they asked him why he wanted to hurt the children. They feel that without a felony, it might be much more difficult to force him to get the help they believe he needs.

The City Attorney, though, is tackling the case. Montelongo did not show up at his arraignment. We were told he suffered a mental breakdown. The case has been postponed until Monday, but he is being charged with one count each of misdemeanor criminal threats, lewd conduct and trespassing. The bail is now set at $100,000.

The parents are grateful to the City Attorney's office but angry at the County DA. No comment from their office.