Man wields knife at church school campus, deputies say

TAMPA  -- A 77-year-old man wielding a knife walked onto a church school campus Wednesday, yelling, cursing and telling the children, teachers and parents that they were going to hell, deputies say.

The incident happened at Concordia Lutheran Middle School, 5601 Hanley Road, at 8:20 a.m. as children were being dropped off, according to the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office.

Deputies reported that Elton Ray Street, left, of 6928 W Comanche Ave., approached the students, shouting and holding up his middle finger, scaring those who were present.

When someone tried to stop Street by placing a hand on his right shoulder, Street cursed more, the arrest report says, and pulled out a knife. He then threatened to cut the person and "send him where he belonged, to hell," the report says.

As parents and teachers sought to hurry children inside the building, Street, who goes by the nickname "Crazy Ray," according to his arrest report, began walking away from the scene, putting the knife back in his right front pocket.

But when a deputy arrived, Street cursed more, and pulled away as the deputy tried to take him into custody.

Street was held in the Orient Road Jail in lieu of $6,000 bail. He is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, trespassing on school property with a weapon, battery, disorderly conduct, carrying a concealed weapon, obstructing or opposing an officer, and disrupting an assembly.

He has a long history of mostly misdemeanor arrests dating to 1965, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Past offenses have included trespassing, disorderly conduct, placing repeated phone calls, false 911 calls, criminal mischief and battery.

- Rebecca Catalanello, Times staff writer