Man Held in Alleged Threats Against Student

Acting on a tip from a Rio Mesa High School student, sheriff’s deputies arrested an Oxnard man Thursday after he allegedly told the girl during an online chat that he planned to kill her and others at the Central Avenue campus.

Henry Carnell May, 20, was arrested at his parents’ home in the 4700 block of B Street in Oxnard, said Eric Nishimoto, a spokesman for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.

May was booked into Ventura County Jail on suspicion of making terrorist threats. He was being held Thursday evening on $10,000 bail and faces an arraignment Monday, authorities said.

May allegedly made the threats to the girl while they chatted on their computers, Nishimoto said. The two did not have a prior relationship, and detectives were releasing few details about how May and the girl met online or the methods investigators used to track him down.

When the girl, whom authorities refused to identify, arrived at school Thursday morning she notified an administrator who, in turn, called sheriff’s deputies. Deputies searched the campus, set up a command post and interviewed students. A tip led them to May’s Oxnard home where he was arrested, Nishimoto said.

“He threatened to shoot her and then shoot up the school,” Nishimoto said. “We set up a surveillance at his house and grabbed him when he came out. We have no idea if he had any plans to carry out the threats.”