Youth, 15, Charged With Making Threat

A 15-year-old boy who allegedly threatened to shoot students at Aliso Niguel High School, prompting nearly 2,000 students to stay home, was charged Tuesday with one felony count of making a terrorist threat.

Authorities declined to provide information on the student, saying that he had been charged as a juvenile. The youth, who was arrested at his home Saturday, had been an Aliso Niguel student until a month ago and faces a sentence of up to three years if convicted. He is being held at juvenile hall.

Meanwhile, life at the southern Orange County high school returned to normal, with only 79 absences recorded Tuesday. On Monday, 1,970 students stayed out of class as rumors spread that violence would erupt at the school one week after the deadly shooting in Santee, Calif.

“Half my friends didn’t come to school yesterday,” said Joanna Huh, 16, of Mission Viejo, clutching her black backpack Tuesday. “We were all pretty scared.”

Though the school in Aliso Viejo appeared calm outwardly, campus administrators still took precautions to ensure safety and to relieve the fears of anxious students. A dozen counselors were posted at the school, but by early afternoon only one student had sought them out.

According to Steve Doan, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, several police officers still patrolled the campus and they will remain there for the rest of the week at least.

“We are back to normal,” said Nancy Fox, assistant principal. “I’m relieved that all the students are back and they all seem to feel comfortable. We have a really cohesive community, and our kids care about one another. They stick together and they’re not afraid to tell adults when they think there’s a problem.”

Also on Tuesday, authorities decided not to file charges against a 14-year-old Capistrano Valley High School student who was arrested Monday on suspicion of threatening to kill another student. His arrest was not related to the first.

“We gave it back to the police for more investigation,” said Tori Richards, spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorney’s office. “We didn’t have enough evidence to file that case.”

Even so, school district officials plan to investigate to see if action should be taken against the student. “You have to take [threats] seriously,” said Capistrano Unified School District Supt. James A. Fleming. “If we had to err, we had to err on the side of caution.”

Attendance was normal Tuesday at Capistrano Valley High, where the released 14-year-old will probably be suspended and possibly expelled for the alleged threat, Fleming said.