Thirteen different students have so far been identified to county prosecutors for their alleged involvement in four of the six recent incidents of violent threats against local schools.
Of those 13 students, two have been formally charged with criminal offenses and two more have been approved for diversion programs in lieu of charges, according to County Attorney George Silva. The fates of seven more suspects are awaiting a recommendation from the County Juvenile Probation Department, while two more are under consideration for adult criminal charges.
In response to a request from the NI, Silva on Monday provided the following update on the incidents - all of which involved threats of violence left in a school bathroom.
• Lincoln Elementary School, April 28. No charges have been filed at this time, as the County Attorney’s Office is still waiting for supplemental reports from the Nogales Police Department and referrals from the Juvenile Probation Department.
• Wade Carpenter Middle School, April 5. A 12-year-old girl has been charged with two offenses: interference with or disruption of an educational institution, and making a terrorist threat. Two more girls, ages 11 and 12, were approved for diversion, and county prosecutors are awaiting recommendations from the Juvenile Probation Department on two additional girls, also aged 11 and 12.
• Desert Shadows Middle School, April 4. A 13-year-old girl has been charged with two offenses: interference with or disruption of an educational institution, and making a terrorist threat. Silva’s office is awaiting a juvenile probation recommendation on another girl, age 15.
• Pierson High School, March 23. Prosecutors are reviewing potential adult criminal charges against two males, ages 17 and 18,
• Nogales High School, March 20. Recommendations from the County Juvenile Probation Department are pending for two 16-year-old boys and two 14-year-old boys.
• Rio Rico High School, March 17. The County Attorney’s Office has no pending prosecutions, adult or juvenile, in this case. Chief Deputy Gerardo Castillo of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office told the NI on Monday that law enforcement had been unable to identify a suspect. “Rio Rico doesn’t have cameras or anything, so we could not identify any of the persons,” he said, adding: “The time that’s involved was too big to narrow it down to anybody going in or out.”
