Juvenile Arrested for Alleged Criminal Threats in Mendocino County
“On 05-10-2024 at 7:39 AM, The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office received communications from a citizen of Ukiah, CA who had concerns about some social media posts his child had received. The posts were shared from one child to another and shown to the parent. The post disclosed the potential of a violent attack involving firearms at Grace Hudson Elementary School on today’s date. This threat caused an immediate and visible law enforcement response to the Grace Hudson Elementary School. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Patrol personnel as well as Detectives coordinated with administrators from the Grace Hudson Elementary School and Ukiah Unified School District. The Sheriff’s Office maintained a visible presence at Grace Hudson School while Sheriff’s Detectives began investigating who was responsible for the threats made on a popular social media platform. While this was occurring, numerous parents responded to the school and removed their children for precautionary measures, indicating the effect these threats have on our community.
In approximately one and a half hours, Sheriff’s Office Detectives determined the possible identity of the person responsible for the threats by working with the security division of the social media company. Sheriff’s Detectives used the information obtained from the social media company along with assistance from the Ukiah Unified School District to identify the user name from the online post, the phone number used to make the post, and ultimately the person responsible for publishing the threatening message online through social media. The offender was identified as a male juvenile who attends Pomolita Middle School. The juvenile was arrested by Mendocino County Sheriff’s Detectives for Criminal Threats, a violation of section 422(a) of the California Penal Code. The juvenile was transported to the Mendocino County Juvenile Hall where he was booked. Additional follow-up investigation was conducted to include interviews with the parents of the juvenile and a search warrant of the juvenile’s residence for firearms or weapons.
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office wishes to ensure the community that these threats are investigated seriously and immediately. Any threat to schools will be investigated fully regardless of the intent of the person making the threat. The fact that this incident resulted in a measurable amount of terror and concern for parents, students, and school staff alike is a stark reminder of the seriousness of these types of offenses. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Ukiah Unified School District staff, Grace Hudson Elementary School Staff, and the Ukiah Police Department for their assistance during this investigation. Anyone with additional information related to this matter or any other threats to schools, are encouraged to reach out to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office by contacting the Dispatch Center at 707-463-4086. Information can also be provided anonymously by calling the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency tip line at 707-234-2100.”
