Crime & Safety
Student Arrested In Connection With School Threat: Santa Rosa PD
A 15-year-old is accused of a hate crime in connection with a message threatening violence against Santa Rosa High School, police said.
SANTA ROSA, CA — A 15-year-old Santa Rosa High School student was arrested Tuesday in connection with a hate crime threatening violence against students at the high school, the Santa Rosa Police Department said.
The threats referenced specific ethnic and racial groups and were posted Christmas Eve in two messages on Instagram, Santa Rosa Police Department Sgt. Christopher Mahurin said.
Administrators at the school at 1235 Mendocino Ave. were notified Monday morning of the suspected bomb threat made over the winter break.
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"When Santa Rosa High School administrators were notified, they immediately contacted SRPD," Mahurin said. "Santa Rosa Police Department detectives took over the investigation and worked to identify the suspect who posted the violent/hate messages. Based on a thorough investigation, detectives linked the Instagram account to a 15-year-old, Santa Rosa resident and Santa Rosa High School student."
At 1:45 p.m. Tuesday, detectives worked with school administrators to take the suspect into custody. The student was taken out of class and was detained by detectives.
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The student was searched and areas the student had access to were also searched, Mahurin said.
At 2:10 p.m., another team of detectives served a search warrant at the student’s residence in Santa Rosa and did not find any bomb-making materials, the sergeant said.
SRPD detectives believe the threat on social media was unfounded.
"There is no evidence to believe the 15-year-old suspect had any bomb-making materials or the present ability to follow through with the threat," Mahurin said.
The student was booked into Sonoma County jail on suspicion of committing a hate crime.
Police said because of the student's age, no further information about their identity would be released.
All suspected threats are taken seriously, Mahurin said.
"SRPD wants to thank the students who came forward with concerns about the post and SRHS administrators for quickly responding to these threats and contacting SRPD."
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