Cyanide Dealt at School; Girl, 14, Is Held

A 14-year-old girl has been arrested for handing out packets of potassium cyanide she described as a drug to several students at Le Conte Junior High School in Hollywood, authorities said Friday.

One of the students was briefly treated at a hospital after she smoked a small amount of the deadly powder on the end of a cigarette and started hallucinating. The student, a 14-year-old girl, recovered fully, but authorities are worried that others may consume the cyanide under the mistaken impression that it is methamphetamine, also known as speed.

“We have information that there’s probably more like this out there, probably several ounces worth that’s still on the street,” said Los Angeles Police Detective Jim Buck. “Our concern is that some of the students at Le Conte or some of the neighbors or young people in that area may have this in their possession.

“We want to get the word out to you that it’s very poisonous,” Buck continued. “Do not smoke it. Do not ingest. Do not even touch it.”

Police said the suspect, a former Le Conte student, gave the packets to three other youngsters on the school grounds, and passed the powder off as methamphetamine. Police believe she knew the substance was potassium cyanide but did not realize how dangerous it was.

“We don’t feel it was intended to hurt somebody,” Buck said.

Cyanide is used by jewelers to clean gold and silver, Buck said, but police are not sure where the girl got the substance.

The three youngsters to whom she gave the powder told police they, in turn, gave some of it to several non-students, but police were not sure who the recipients were.

Authorities stumbled across the poison packets Nov. 2 when Hollywood patrol officers arrested a 13-year-old boy on drug charges as he was leaving the Le Conte campus. He had 14 small tin-foil containers of what was assumed to be methamphetamine given to him by the girl to sell. Police analysis revealed the powder was potassium cyanide.

The girl has been charged with selling a substance disguised as a narcotic and possession of a loaded revolver.