Runaway Teen Busted for Bomb Threats
Santa Barbara County – When the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office received a call from Washington State’s Clyde Hill Police Department on morning of May 10th asking for help to locate a runaway teenager, there was no expectation that the case would be anything more than that. The case was so pro-forma, in fact, that the juvenile–described by SBSD Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover as “at risk”—was located within two hours.
The juvenile, whose name has not been released to the media pursuant to California Welfare and Institutions Code Section 827, reportedly had family ties to the Santa Barbara area which helped Deputies locate the 16-year old driving a family car which he had stolen in the area of the heavily-trafficked Turnpike Shopping Center in Goleta. When the boy was initially contacted and detained by Deputies, he warned them that he had “explosive devices” in his car.
At that point, he was immediately taken into custody and law enforcement imposed a complete “lockdown” of area businesses and of San Marcos High School, located across the street from the shopping center parking lot where the vehicle was cordoned off. Once the area was secured, The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Specialty Unit Bomb Squad arrived on the scene, searched the car, and found several “simulated devices and a modified air-soft gun”, described by Hoover in her report to the media as “potentially functional”.
The juvenile was subsequently transported to Santa Barbara County Juvenile Hall where he was charged with making bomb threats and possession of weapons. His case remains sealed at this time and is under consideration for prosecution by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney.
Photo: Courtesy www.ksby.com
Read more:
KCOY: Washington Teen Arrested for Making Bomb Threat
Noozhawk: Teen Charged with Bomb Threat After Incident near Goleta
Santa Barbara Independent: Bomb Scare at Goleta Vons
