Body Found at South El Monte Elementary School

SOUTH EL MONTE (CNS) - The body of a man who apparently hanged himself was found thursday on the grounds of an elementary school in South El Monte, authorities said.

Staff members at Miramonte Elementary, 10620 E. Schmidt Road, discovered the body about 7:15 a.m. in the playground area of the campus, said Michele Earle of the Mountain View School District.

Authorities withheld the name of the man, who investigators believe committed suicide, pending notification of his relatives, coroner's Assistant Chief Ed Winter said.

"The area was quickly sealed off with tarps to ensure the students could not see the body as they arrived for school,'' Earle said. "The school was placed on `rainy day' schedule for the day, and students were kept inside their classrooms and in the cafeteria to shield them from the playground area while (authorities) conducted their investigation.''