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A 27-year-old man accused of attempting to kidnap a student at Sequoia High School while impersonating a law enforcement officer was sentenced to prison but released due to time served, despite objections from the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors say Trey Von Duus entered a classroom at Sequoia High School in Redwood City on July 18, 2024, grabbed a 16-year-old student, and said, “I need to take him,” while claiming to be a law enforcement officer. A teacher intervened and escorted Duus outside, the District Attorney’s Office said.
On March 13, Duus pleaded no contest to felony attempted kidnapping with two enhancements. While prosecutors sought five years in state prison, Judge Jeffery Jackson sentenced Duus to two years and six months in state prison and dismissed an enhancement for it being Duus’ second felony offense, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Since Duus had been in jail awaiting trial since July 2024, he received credit for 604 days in jail and an additional 604 days of credit for good behavior, meaning he did not need to serve any additional jail time as a result of the sentence.
San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said that his office sought more jail time because the conduct occurred at a school.
“Schools are safety zones. Schools are locations that parents believe should be as secure for their children as their own home. And when something like this occurs, it sends a ripple effect through the community that school isn’t safe,” Wagstaffe said.
During the incident at Sequoia High School, prosecutors say Duus caused $1,000 in damage to a girls’ bathroom and warned a staff member that he had a gun. While officers did not find a gun on Duus when he was arrested, he allegedly had a knife that he displayed while on campus.
At the time of the crime, Duus was on felony probation from an incident in Santa Barbara County in which he broke into a fire department official’s home, rifled through belongings and put on the resident’s clothes, according to prosecutors.
As part of that case, Duus pleaded guilty to burglary and a parole violation. He also agreed to undergo substance abuse treatment in Brisbane. His probation was set to expire this year.
Following Duus’ 2024 arrest in San Mateo County, the Superior Court of Santa Barbara issued a warrant. He was arrested on that warrant on March 16, 2026, shortly after his sentencing in Redwood City. Santa Barbara County Deputy District Attorney Nicholas Harmon declined to comment on the case. Wagstaffe said his office did not coordinate with Santa Barbara prosecutors.
Duus was arraigned on the warrant in Santa Barbara Superior Court on March 17.
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