A pair of California teenagers accused of calling in a bomb threat that forced the lockdown of roughly 2,000 students at Ventura High School last month have admitted to their involvement in separate hearings, officials announced Thursday.
On Wednesday, one of the minors agreed to three felony charges, including malicious informing of a false bomb, conspiracy to commit a malicious informing of a false bomb, and criminal threats, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced in a news release.
“Ventura County Superior Court Judge Kevin DeNoce sentenced the minor to wardship under Welfare and Institutions Code section 602, the most serious level of juvenile probation,” the news release stated.
The second minor, who is from Santa Barbara County, admitted to two felony charges, including malicious informing of a false bomb and conspiracy to commit a malicious informing of a false bomb during a May 21 hearing.
That teen is scheduled to appear for an interim hearing on June 10 at the Santa Maria Juvenile Courthouse, as required by law, the news release states. Sentencing in the case is scheduled for June 17.
The charges stem from the minors’ involvement in a May 2 incident in which school officials received a threatening phone call claiming that someone was on campus with a bomb and intended to commit a shooting.
The campus was immediately placed on lockdown as law enforcement was called to secure the campus and investigate.
“These threats placed the entire Ventura High School campus on lockdown, and caused students, teachers, and the surrounding community to be in fear,” Juvenile Unit Supervisor Maureen Byrne said. “The juveniles who committed the false bomb threat and school shooting threat have been held accountable for their criminal conduct.”
