FOLSOM — Less than three weeks after his arrest for allegedly bringing weapons and making threats at Folsom High School, a 53-year-old man barred from local campuses was again taken into custody Monday afternoon after being seen on the grounds of Sandra J. Gallardo Elementary School in Folsom.
According to the Folsom Cordova Unified School District, the incident occurred around 2 p.m. when Curt Taras entered the Gallardo Elementary campus, despite a court order prohibiting him from being on any FCUSD property. While no students were present because it was a non-student day, several staff members were on site for professional-development activities.
“Upon learning of his presence, our School Safety Team and Folsom Police responded immediately and conducted a thorough search of the area. Law enforcement has identified and detained Mr. Taras,” said Angela Griffin Ankhelyi, Chief Communications & Community Engagement Officer for the district. “Safety is our top priority, and as always, we encourage staff and families to report any concerns promptly to Administration or through our online reporting system, WeTip.”
Folsom Police confirmed officers responded to the call just after 2 p.m.
“At approximately 2:00 p.m. today, we received a call reporting that a subject who is not permitted on campus was seen at Gallardo Elementary School in Folsom,” said Commander Andrew Bates of the Folsom Police Department. “Today was a non-student day, but there were still individuals on campus for other activities. Multiple officers responded immediately, conducted a thorough sweep of the area, and determined that the individual was no longer on the premises. Through our investigation, we identified the subject as Curt Taras, 53, of Folsom. Officers located and arrested Taras for violating a court order. He will be booked at the Sacramento County Jail.”
Dispatch audio and radio traffic indicated police established a perimeter around Gallardo Elementary and nearby Folsom High School as a precaution. Both campuses went into a temporary shelter-in-place status while officers searched surrounding areas, including nearby parking lots and bike trails. The order was lifted a short time later once the area was cleared and Taras was detained.
Sacramento County Jail records indicate Taras was booked today for violation of a court order. However, later Monday evening, county records indicated he was released after posting bail.
Monday’s arrest marks the latest in a series of concerning incidents involving Taras, who was previously arrested by Folsom Police on September 24 after allegedly entering Folsom High School armed with multiple weapons and making threatening statements on campus.
According to police at the time, the incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. when a basketball coach encountered Taras on the property and realized he did not belong there. The coach immediately contacted authorities and initiated a lockdown, securing student athletes inside the gym and nearby facilities.
Radio traffic from the 911 call revealed that Taras was reportedly walking around the campus while making comments about potential “sniper points,” which heightened the urgency of the response. Officers quickly located him in the 1700 block of Iron Point Road, where he was detained without incident. Police later determined he was carrying a concealed firearm, a high-capacity magazine, and a knife on school property.
Taras was arrested and booked into the Sacramento County Jail on multiple charges, including making criminal threats, possession of a concealed firearm in a vehicle, possession of a high-capacity magazine, possession of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school, possession of a knife on a school campus, and violation of a court order.
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