Deputies detain student in connection with threat

Deputy presence to increase at La Mesa Junior High

A male student was detained by sheriff’s deputies on charges of criminal threats against a school, officials said Monday night.

It is undetermined if the student is the one who wrote on the bathroom wall at La Mesa Junior High, however, the student has allegedly made verbal threats against the school prior to the recently discovered threat.

La Mesa Junior High School staff discovered the “concerning statement” written on a bathroom wall last week, less than a month after the most recent threat.

The school principal sent an email to parents Monday regarding the situation.

“The statement did mention (May 21),” said Michele Krantz in the email. “Our school will remain open tomorrow.”

Although the threat was indirect and did not mention any specific person, school officials contacted the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station in an abundance of caution, according to Krantz.

Because the incident is still an open investigation, school officials are limited regarding what they can share, because they need to avoid compromising the investigation.

And while the threat does not appear to be credible, deputies will be patrolling the area on Tuesday “to calm parents’ minds,” said Shirley Miller, spokeswoman for the SCV Sheriff’s Station.

“While we never want to under-react to these types of situations, overreacting can also have an impact,” Krantz said. “It causes fear and anxiety in adults and students and allocates precious resources that could be used elsewhere.”

Parents and students are being encouraged to inform La Mesa staff and the local authorities if they have any information about the incident. The school’s Text-a-Tip hotline is also available at 661-524-5166.

“Please have a discussion with your child to convey how important it is to not make these statements in an effort to have a day off from school or as merely a ‘joke,’” added Krantz.

“While we never want to under-react to these types of situations, overreacting can also have an impact. It causes fear and anxiety in adults and students and allocates precious resources that could be used elsewhere.” Michele Krantz, La Mesa Junior High principal