Backpack contents leads to Huntington Beach High School evacuation, student’s arrest

HUNTINGTON BEACH — A mid-morning report of a student in possession of fireworks triggered an evacuation of Huntington Beach High School Wednesday and led to a student being taken into custody.

Huntington Beach High School

Police responded to the call around 9:30 am. The student had been pulled out of class and taken to the vice principal’s office where police looked in his backpack and found a device that appeared to be a bomb. Further investigation deemed the bomb fake, however.

Though the student claimed the mock bomb was simply a prop that he was going to use in a movie he was planning to work on after school, he was subsequently arrested for possession of a fake bomb and making criminal threats before being booked into Orange County Juvenile Hall.

The Orange County Register reported that police continued their investigation at the student’s home on the 2300 block of Delaware Street, serving a warrant there Wednesday afternoon and confiscating evidence. What that evidence was police declined to say.

Police also wouldn’t release the student’s name because he is a juvenile.

Following the evacuation, school authorities decided to cancel classes for the rest of the day. Classes were planned to resume Thursday.