Late Wednesday morning, a Fresno County Sheriff’s deputy assigned as the school resource officer at Central West High School, made an arrest of a student.
The deputy took a 14 year old girl into custody at her home located in northwest Fresno. She has been booked into the Fresno County Juvenile Justice Center on a felony charge of PC 422, which is making a criminal threat.
On Tuesday, Central Unified School District Officials and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office received reports of a written message on a wall located inside the girls’ bathroom at Central West High School. The message was a general threat of violence that did not target any specific person or group. Safety of the students and staff is the number priority of the Sheriff’s Office and the school district, so we both took this matter seriously and began an investigation.
There was no evidence of an imminent threat today, so the school district made the decision to keep the campus open on Wednesday and conduct business as usual. The Sheriff’s Office kept its regular patrol presence on campus as additional deputies arrived to develop information about the threatening message. Deputies ultimately identified the girl responsible, located her and took her into custody. A motive has not been determined.
The Sheriff’s Office would like to remind students and parents of how seriously violent threats can be perceived, whether they are credible or not. There are consequences for making such threats, just as can be seen in this case.
The public is encouraged to report anything they find to be concerning, especially when violence is implied. You may call the Sheriff’s Office at (559) 600-3111, Valley Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-7867 or text Crime Stoppers at 274637. You will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
