Photo: Tristan Curl
OAKLEY — The long arm of the law reached some 1700 miles to arrest a teenager accused of terrorism. This former California resident—accused of making threats against a local school—is in custody in Texas awaiting extradition.
On October 23rd, Oakley police were notified about threats being made to students and faculty at Freedom High School. The threats had apparently first begun in August and they escalated to a point where police patrolled the school.
The first threats targeted a group of girls attending the school via Snapchat.com social media posts. Soon everyone at the school was being threatened, according to authorities.
School attendance dropped because of the escalating threats. Authorities said the school was being terrorized, and some individuals suffered psychological trauma as a result.
Once notified, Oakley police launched an investigation, quickly joined by the Contra Costa County sheriff’s and district attorney’s offices. In addition, the California Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation provided direct assistance to Oakley PD.
For several weeks, investigators gathered evidence linking the threats to a student at the University of Texas. With a warrant in hand, local authorities traveled to Austin on November 20th to make an arrest.
With assistance from the Austin Police Department, 19-year-old Tristan A. Curl was booked on a California warrant. Curl is being held at Travis County Jail, pending extradition to Contra Costa County for prosecution.
Once his extradition is approved, Oakley officers will accompany Curl when he travels to the Martinez Detention Facility.
