‘It’s a serious crime:’ Reactions after teen girl arrested in connection with social media threat against Vanguard Academy
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A 14-year-old girl is in a juvenile detention facility after she was arrested Wednesday in connection with a social media threat made against Vanguard Academy, a spokesperson with the Edinburg Police Department said.
The teen was identified as an incoming freshman at Vanguard.
“Making threats is not a joke,” Edinburg police spokesperson Arielle Benedict said. “It's a serious crime, it is a serious offense. Even if it does happen on a social media platform, it's the same concept. It's the same legal consequences."
PREVIOUS STORY: Teen girl detained in connection with threat against Vanguard Academy in Edinburg
Police said the same student was arrested by Edinburg CISD police officers on June 23 after allegedly bringing a kitchen knife to Barrientes Middle School “with the intent to engage in a physical altercation.”
The offense occurred on June 16. District police officers charged the teen for that incident. Channel 5 News was told a second student was also charged in connection with that same incident.
With the new school year approaching, Benedict is asking parents to speak with their children.
“The worst possible thing is not an expulsion from campus, it's an arrest,” Benedict said. “Maybe somebody will be seriously hurt."
Depending on the circumstance, a threat could range in punishment from a misdemeanor to a felony charge.
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