BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — An upscale Brooklyn Heights preschool was placed on lockdown earlier this month when a man broke into the property two days in a row during school hours, according to police and prosecutors.
Alex Kovner, 43, was first arrested after breaking into the Imagine Early Learning Center, at 50 Monroe Place, on May 13, according to the NYPD.
Police said Kovner screamed obscenities while walking through the hallway and acted belligerent, leading school officials to place the building on lockdown.
During the break-in, Kovner said the children didn’t belong in the school and referenced the Friday the 13th date, according to the New York Post, which first reported the story.
A school employee was eventually able to lock Kovner in the gym and police apprehended him, according to a source.
Kovner was arrested and charged with acting in a manner injurious to a child, trespassing and disorderly conduct, police said.
But Kovner was released and the next day he walked right back into the preschool and locked himself in a bathroom, according to police.
He was arrested once more and charged with criminal trespassing, police said.
Kovner appeared in court May 15 in connection with the second break-in, and his defense attorney requested a psychiatric evaluation in lieu of $1,000 bail, court records show.
He was released again without bail, this time into a supervised pre-trial program, court records show.
Kovner has not yet been arraigned on charges connected to the first break-in, according to court records.
His attorney Betty Baez was not immediately available for comment.
The school has since added extra security and has set up a panic button connected to the local police precinct in the event that Kovner returns, according to the Post.
The school’s director did not immediately respond to request for comment.
