2 Arrested in School Bomb Scare

Police arrested two teens on suspicion of planting phony bombs on the campus of Channel Islands High School, a prank that led to the evacuation of about 2,500 students and staff Tuesday morning.

Authorities found four suspicious-looking devices on and around school property, prompting officials to end classes and clear the campus while experts from the Sheriff’s Department bomb squad carefully hauled away each bomb look-alike.

Upon later inspection, authorities determined that the devices were fake.

Police took two teens into custody on felony charges of placing a facsimile bomb in a public place. Both male suspects--at least one of whom was a Channel Islands student--were booked into Juvenile Hall on Tuesday night, and officers searched their homes, authorities said.

Though the devices were ultimately determined to be phony, police officials early Tuesday afternoon described them as authentic looking and worried that students and administrators were in danger.

“The devices are sophisticated looking,” Oxnard Police Cmdr. Jeff Young had said. “They had a little more of a formidable appearance, from what I understand, and were fairly credible looking.”

The bomb squad loaded the devices into a “bomb bucket” for transport to another site to be X-rayed, while students were sent across the street to Oxnard College as a precaution.

The incident began after a student spotted a questionable-looking box, and school officials reported the incident to police about 10:30 a.m. Minutes later, an alarm sounded and students, teachers and administrators were evacuated to the school’s football and softball fields.

About 12:30 p.m., everyone was sent to Oxnard College. Soon after, hundreds of students boarded school buses, and hundreds more walked home or were picked up by parents.

Bomb squad members searched the Channel Islands campus and parking lot into the evening and brought in military dogs to help sniff for possible explosives.

Three of the suspicious devices were found at various spots on campus, including in a stairwell, according to David Keith, public information officer for the Oxnard Police Department.

A fourth bomb look-alike was located nearby, off campus.