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A woman is now sitting in the Montgomery County Jail, after being accused of putting a gun in the backpack of her boyfriend's son to try and salvage a relationship with the boy's father.

Heather Darlene Hodges, 26, of Anderson, was charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon on restricted premises and unlawful transfer of a handgun to a minor.

Deputies with the Montgomery County Pct. 5 Constable's Office, who provide security for the Magnolia school district, said the school received an anonymous call Nov. 5, that a student had a pistol in his backpack.

Upon arrival, deputies found that school administrators had already removed the student from class and found an unloaded 9mm handgun in the boy's backpack.

After taking the student into custody, deputies from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office proceeded to question the boy for several hours. Upon realizing that he was telling the truth and had no prior knowledge of the weapon, deputies began to investigate further. The boy told deputies that Hodges might have put the weapon in the backpack because she didn't like him.

Pct. 5 deputies were able to trace the anonymous phone call to a pay phone located at a nearby Exxon convenience store.

"Security video from the store led investigators to identify the anonymous caller as (Hodges)," a Pct. 5 press release stated.

The video allegedly shows Hodges car pull into the parking lot, where she then exited the vehicle and proceeded to walk to the pay phone.

During questioning detectives say that Hodges initially denied even being at the convenience store. However, once she realized she was on video, she admitted to deputies that she had placed the gun in the boy's backpack to get him in trouble with his father.

Sources told the Tribune that the boy's father was planning to move away from Magnolia and told Hodges that she would not be coming with them.

Hodges initially agreed to turn herself in to investigators, however she instead reported to her probation officer, where deputies took her into custody.
She is on probation for a 2011 theft conviction in Conroe.

Hodges is still in the Montgomery County Jail on a total of $20,000 bond. The boy was cleared of all wrongdoing by police.

Parents of students in Magnolia were a bit on edge last week, after receiving a phone call from the district stating that a student had brought a weapon to school.

Magnolia ISD officials said that they received information that a student at J.L. Lyon Elementary was in possession of a weapon, Jan. 9.

"Staff quickly recovered an unloaded firearm without incident," the district said in a written statement. "No ammunition was found in the student's possession nor was there any evidence of intent to use the weapon on campus."

School officials would provide no other information besides what was contained in the statement. The Tribune put in a public information request asking the district to release what punishment the student will face, without identifying the student. Magnolia ISD was still examining that request as of press time.

Parents at the school said the incident was disturbing.

"I got a phone call, it was a recording, telling me a kid had a gun on my daughter's campus," said Cathy House. "I was talking about it with my mother and my daughter came in. She had no idea that it happened while she was at school."

House said her daughter told her she saw police at her school.

"It's scary, especially with what happened in Connecticut," House said.

Cpt. Glenn Arnold with the Montgomery County Pct. 5 Constable's Office, the agency responsible for school security, said students were not in danger.

"(The gun) was unloaded, recovered and secured within moments of being notified," he said. "It wasn't anything with a malicious intent; the kid was just trying to show off as kids sometimes tend to do."

The district added that they are "committed to providing a safe environment for all students and will continue to work with parents and law enforcement to achieve this goal."

The student was transported to a juvenile facility, where he was expected to see a judge last Friday, according to Arnold.

Every member of the Tomball Police department stood waiting outside their building Feb. 27, their badges glistening in the early morning sun.

They weren't preparing to respond to an emergency, rather they had gathered in preparation for the one time a year they could all be together – the annual inspection.

Inspecting them were the departments command staff of Chief Robert Hauck, Cpt. Rick Grassi, Cpt. Anthony Solomon and Cpt. Rickey Doerre, as well as other area law enforcement officials, business owners and community leaders.

"We do this for multiple reasons," Hauck said. First is the opportunity to show off the men and women of our department, the opportunity to allow us to get together with our public safety partners and members of the community and also the feeling of pride that all of us get being together as a whole, for this one time each year."

Hauck said that while the 47 sworn officers and 13 civilian employees were all together, the city received the help of the Harris County Pct. 4 and Montgomery County Pct. 5 Constable Offices, as well as the Harris County Sheriff's Office in patrolling the city.

"We are very grateful for our partners help, it's what allows us to do this inspection each year," he said.

Meanwhile several other officials, including other law enforcement members, talked to the officers, some jokingly trying to hire them away to work for their agencies.

"We have applications with us," Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia said to laughter. "Seriously though, this community is very lucky that it has such fine men and women of the Tomball Police Department and to have Chief Hauck as well."

Montgomery County Sheriff Tommy Gage said he was grateful his agency has received help from the Tomball Police Department in the past.

"When you all come across that creek to help us, we are so appreciative," he said.

Montgomery County Pct. 5 Chief Deputy David Wood agreed.

"I also live in Tomball, so I have a good view to see what a good job you all do," he said.

Tomball Superintendent John Neubauer said the department's continued partnership with the school district has been a key for school safety.

"It has been a great partnership," he said. "The Tomball Police Department is great and I just want to thank you for all that you do."

Greater Tomball Chamber of Commerce President Bruce Hillegeist said that the key to the department's success is the character of the men and women within the organization.

"You all look handsome in those uniforms," Hillegeist said. "But under those uniforms are what's really important, you all have huge hearts and we are blessed to have you all here."

While schools across the nation are struggling with what is best to protect their students, Magnolia Independent School District is taking a hard look at what is already in place including armed police protection on campuses.

"We have had a long-standing agreement with Pct. 5 Constable (David)Hill's office," MISD Director of Student Services Rob Stewart said. "In fact on the day of the Newtown tragedy Constable Hill sent additional officers to all campuses in the district and the week before Christmas he pulled in every officer he had, including reserves, to place an officer at each school."

Since the Dec. 14, 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary school shootings that took the lives of 20 children and six adults in Newtown, Conn., MISD resource officers have been reassigned to be more visible at elementary schools in the district.

"We will never prevent all school violence, but if they are driving by and see an officer, maybe they will drive on," Hill said.

For 17 years MISD and the Montgomery County Pct. 5 Constable's office have had a memorandum of understanding placing resource officers on campuses in the district, making officers already on district campuses official. Currently MISD has eight officers covering its schools. Officials from both entities say the relationship could not be better.

"We want to be highly visible but low-keyed," Hill said. "On the day of the school shootings in December, I was greeted by students on the campus. They thought nothing of my being there; it was normal to them."

This approach to student protection is working, they said.

Magnolia West High School (MWHS) junior Adriana Mendoza, who has grown up in the district, says she is comfortable with officers on campus.

"We have always had them," she said. "In fact MISD upholds its motto that we are the best district, and the officers are part of that."

MWHS seniors Bob Harris and Logan Frenchak agree.

"When I returned to MISD in the seventh grade, I didn't really notice the 'armed officer' at school," Harris said. "My first exposure was with the DARE (Drug Alcohol Resistance Education) officer and it became normal."

"I have always felt safe in MISD," Frenchak said. "I don't really think there is anything the school could do to make it a safer place."

Acknowledging the rare loner who might pose a threat, all three high school students agree counselors are key and would like to see them have more time for guidance rather than scheduling. The three cited school counseling that was made available last November in the wake of a traffic fatality that claimed the lives of two MSID graduates, as a good example of reaching out to students.

"We need to establish more teacher-student relationships," Mendoza said.

District auditing safety of schools:

When school reconvened after the Christmas holidays, MISD conducted a campus-by-campus safety audit, reviewing access points to buildings, procedures, personnel, technology, and traffic flows among other things. Magnolia ISD Superintendent Dr. Todd Stephens summarized the audit.

"The District and Board is working to ensure that every campus has a safe and protective environment in place," Stephens said.

"Working with the Board of Trustees and local law enforcement officers, we are looking at procedures and facility improvements that will help make everyone in our schools feel safe, everyday."

Magnolia ISD Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jason Bullock identified one reinforcement the district has enacted.

"We are making sure that throughout the school day we have personnel and eyes on our public access points," Bullock said. "I think we all agree we still want a school to feel like a school."

Last fall MISD opened the school year with new security initiatives in place in order to improve security and better control visitor access. Changes include expanded and upgraded camera systems at Magnolia High School and Magnolia West High School along with modified main entrances at Magnolia Elementary, Williams Elementary and Bear Branch Junior High.

"We have built these community-friendly campuses and now we are reviewing access, especially appropriate access for parents," Bullock said. "The problem comes with these events that mark time: Columbine, 9/11, now Sandy Hook."

Having schools that are part of the community¾open to visitors and often street accessible¾creates a security challenge for MISD.  Soon keys may be replaced with keypads at strategic exit/entry points, according to Bullock. Like many school districts MISD has had a locked classroom policy for at least five years. Each day every classroom in MISD is secured with a one-way locking door that releases easily from the inside. If a student leaves the classroom, the door is opened from the inside to let her return. Because these doors and other access doors in MISD schools have the one-way locks, they are fire safe but allow for lock-down.

"We learned a lot after Columbine," Bullock said. "Now, unfortunately we may learn more since Newtown."

DPS Officers innovative with aid:

Last year, two Texas Department of Public Safety Officers, Sgt. Derik Leitner and Trooper Eric Lopez, developed Rapid Response Cards for all 16 Magnolia ISD schools.

There is one 5x7-inch laminated card for each school with a clear, full-color aerial photo of the campus on one side and a floor plan on the other. The card sets also list Key Map pages and latitude and longitude coordinates in case additional support is needed. Every Rapid Response Card set is on a ring and can be clipped anywhere for officers' convenience.

"This is an idea that is so simple you think, why haven't other people done this," Stewart said. "In the event of an emergency, it allows us to have all the information needed in-hand."

Rapid Response Card sets are carried in peace officers' service units and are kept by campus and district administrators. When a school emergency happens the constable's office is assisted by the state troopers, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, the Magnolia Police Department and even the Tomball Police Department.

What parents can do

Parents are sometimes without the intimate knowledge of their child's school day. What may seem alarming ¾ locked doors, campus officers, procedures ¾ is all a part of the child's norm on campus. Dr. Stephens' advice for parents is straight forward.

"One of the most important things parents can do to help our teachers build a safe protective environment for our students, is to stress the importance of the students knowing the school’s safety procedures and plans,” Stephens said. “Students should be able to explain what’s expected of them during emergency situations. Parents should emphasize the importance of knowing and following school procedures so everyone in the school can feel safe. I would also remind parents to tell their students that it’s important to talk to their teachers or principal about anything that makes them uncomfortable or threatened at school. Students need to know it’s the right thing to do to help keep their school safe."

Officials also advise parents to keep their contact information current by updating at the campus level, immediately sign in at the front desk when visiting a campus and to know campus and district procedures.

"We are trying to find middle ground," Bullock said. "We want to be safe without being overprotective."

Menawhile, Magnolia ISD held its first district-wide safety drill day Friday Feb. 15. Teachers, principals and school officers reviewed campus safety plans with students and every school in MISD did practice runs of the drills.

"I want to ensure that everyone in MISD knows how to appropriately respond to an emergency situation in their school," Superintendent Stephens said.

Montgomery County Sheriff's and Pct. 5 deputies found the gruesome scene of a body near the railroad tracks, the morning of March 12, along FM 1774, just north of High Meadow Ranch Road.

Lt. Dan Norris, of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said that they received a call at about 10:30 that morning from the conductor of a train, who said he had seen a body near the tracks.

Upon arrival the deputies found a deceased male lying near the tracks, with no identification. Officials estimated him to be between 20-30 years old.

A Union Pacific railroad worker at the scene said that he was told the man's legs were severed.

"Due to the victims injuries, it appears that a train did strike the individual," a press release from the sheriff's office stated.

Norris stated that detectives are still investigating, trying to determine exactly what happened to the man.

The body was transported to the Montgomery County Forensic Center for autopsy and detectives have tentatively identified the man.

If it turns out that the man was struck by the train it will be the second week in a row for a train accident in the Magnolia area. Last week a trailer hauling oilfield equipment was struck in downtown Magnolia, while attempting to cross the tracks.