Juvenile Arrested In Norwalk High School Threatening Case: Police

NORWALK, CT — A juvenile was arrested late Wednesday night following "an exhaustive investigation" in connection to three hoax threatening incidents reported at Norwalk High School within a week, according to police.

In a news release, Police Lt. Terrence Blake said the juvenile, who was not identified, was charged with first-degree threatening, second-degree threatening, three counts of first-degree falsely reporting an incident, three counts of second-degree breach of peace and three counts of conspiracy.

Blake said the juvenile has been referred to juvenile court, however the incidents are still under investigation.

"I appreciate the outstanding work of the officers that responded to the three incidents at Norwalk High School," Police Chief Thomas Kulhawik said in a news release, "and commend the thorough and tireless work of the detectives that investigated and solved these crimes. I also wish to thank our federal partners for their willingness to assist and the community for their cooperation."

Mayor Harry Rilling thanked Norwalk police and the city's law enforcement partners for their outstanding work on this case.

"They worked tirelessly to find out who was responsible," Rilling said in a statement. "I am glad this issue has been resolved. I hope our community can rest easier knowing that this person will be held accountable."

Superintendent Alexandra Estrella also commended police and others for their work identifying a suspect.

"We appreciate the hard work of the Norwalk Police Department and all who were involved in
identifying the source of these disruptive threats," Estrella said in a statement.

The arrest was made the same day officers were notified of a threat of an armed person within the school Wednesday afternoon. According to Police Lt. Joe Dinho, officers quickly secured the facility and placed the school on lockdown while police investigated.

The building was searched and cleared, and students were later dismissed from school around 2:45 p.m. Students at Naramake Elementary School and Nathan Hale Middle School were also asked to remain in their classrooms until dismissal as a precautionary measure, Dinho said.

Wednesday's incident marked the third time in a week a threat had been reported at Norwalk High School, all three of which were deemed hoaxes by police.

See also: FBI To Assist Police In Norwalk High Threat Investigation

• Hoax Bomb Threat Leads To Norwalk High School Evacuation
• 'Hoax' Threat Locks Down Norwalk High School: Police

The school was briefly evacuated the morning of Dec. 1 following an alleged bomb threat. According to Police Sgt. Sofia Gulino, officers and police canine bomb detection teams quickly entered the building and checked for suspicious items before the building was deemed safe and everyone was allowed back inside.

On Friday, the school was locked down with multiple officers present inside the building after receiving a threat that was later deemed to be a hoax, according to police.

Dinho also noted Wednesday police had enlisted the assistance of the FBI to determine the source of the threat.

Rilling thanked Norwalk police for responding to and investigating each incident recently reported at the school and said the city would utilize all available resources, including state and federal law enforcement agencies, to determine the origins of the threats.

"This behavior is dangerous and it will not be tolerated," Rilling said in a statement. "I am thankful these incidents have been hoaxes, but I understand the stress, anxiety and potential trauma this is causing our students, staff, families and community."

Rilling noted the city's community services department is working closely with Norwalk Public Schools to ensure appropriate support systems are in place.

Anyone with any information regarding these incidents is asked to contact the department's Detective Bureau at 203-854-3011. Anonymous tips can be sent by any of the following means:

• Contact the Norwalk Police Tip Line at 203-854-3111.
• Anonymous Internet tips can be sent to Norwalk Police website at www.norwalkpd.com.
• Anonymous text tips can be submitted by typing "NORWALKPD" into the text field, followed by the message, and sending it to TIP411 (847411).