15-Year-Old Charged In Toms River North Hoax Threat: Authorities

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A 15-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with scribbling a threat on a bathroom wall at Toms River High School North, officials said Wednesday.

The teen was identified only as a sophomore at the high school in a joint news release from Toms River Police Chief Mitchell Little and Toms River Regional Schools Superintendent David Healy.

The threat, which said "Do not come to school 12/9 Boom Boom" was discovered and reported to police Dec. 6, Toms River Police Department spokesman Ralph Stocco said.

A parent of a Toms River North student posted a photo of the threat to Facebook on Dec. 8, along with a letter that was emailed to parents and guardians by Toms River North Principal Ed Keller that said the district and police were investigating and taking precautions. The Facebook post was shared more than 760 times and despite assurances from police and the school district that the matter was being thoroughly investigated, some students stayed home from school last Friday.

Little said the matter has been thoroughly investigated and it was determined there was never any credible threat to harm anyone at the school, Stocco said. The student had no means or verifiable intent to act upon his threats, Little said.

"As always, we initially treat any incident such as this as legitimate until we can prove it otherwise," Little said. "It is regrettable that a misguided decision by a child caused widespread alarm to the community and wasted taxpayer resources."

Little credited the strong cooperation between the police department and the school system for apprehending the student.

“We also want to thank the students who did the right thing by reporting the initial incident as well as providing information to school Principal Edward Keller and School Resource officer Frank Bopp that led to the arrest,” Healy said.

They did not specify when the arrest occurred.

Stocco said the student has been charged with causing false public alarm, a third-degree criminal charge, after Toms River Detective Thomas Grosse consulted with Ocean County Assistant Prosecutor Anthony Pierro. Third-degree criminal charges carry a possibility of jail time.

The student was processed in the municipal jail and subsequently released to the custody of his father pending a future court date, Stocco said.

In addition to the criminal charges, the student will face disciplinary action from the school district. Healy said that could range from suspension up to a recommendation to the Board of Education for expulsion. Healy said the facts will be thoroughly reviewed by his staff and the school board prior to a final decision being made.

This is the third time Toms River police have charged teens with causing a false public alarm in the last few months. In early October, two students were charged after making claims related to the creepy clown craze. One girl claimed she had been chased by one wielding a knife and the claim sparked a shelter in place order at one of the Toms River district's schools while police searched for the supposed clown. The second, a 12-year-old girl, posted a faked clown threat to Instagram, police said.

Photo of threat via Toms River Police