Ventura police arrest 14-year-old boy for online threat towards local school, weapons confiscated

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – Police arrested a 14-year-old boy for posting an online threat directed towards Foothill Technology High School on Tuesday and confiscated several weapons during the investigation, according to the Ventura Police Department.

The department said that the teen, who was himself a student at Foothill Tech, made threats against the campus and the student body via Instagram.

Investigators identified the boy, and police arrested and booked him into the county's Juvenile Hall for criminal threats, according to the department.

Police said that several weapons were taken into custody, and the student's parents were contacted and cooperated with the investigation as well.

The Ventura Police Department said that it and the Ventura Unified School District take all threats to their campuses and students seriously.

"When adolescents are involved, it is sometimes difficult to determine the intent of these types of threats, as they are occasionally done as a prank or joke," said the department.

The Ventura Police Department said it encourages parents to discuss these types of behaviors with their children, as well as the consequences.

To learn more about the School Resource Officer program, visit www.CityofVentura.ca.gov/SROs.