A Buchholz High School student was arrested by Alachua County Sheriff deputies Monday in connection with false bomb threats.
The 17-year-old Buchholz student was accused of faking bomb threats, possession of cocaine and using a two-way communication device to commit a felony. Over the past month, four false bomb threats were called in to Buchholz, causing parents and students to worry about class time disruption and question campus security.
Deputies arrested the student after collecting evidence at his home Monday, an ACSO release read.
The student could be charged with a second-degree felony with the potential to pay fines up to $10,000, ACSO spokesperson Kaley Behl said.
He is being taken to Gainesville’s Juvenile Assessment Center, Behl said, adding that information is limited because it is still an ongoing investigation.
“I know that everybody would love to see this come to a full and complete end,” Behl said. “But I’m glad that we were able to go ahead and develop the probable cause to make the arrest to put the community at ease.”
The four bomb threats occurred on Aug. 19, Sept. 1, Sept. 2 and Sept. 7, causing law enforcement to sweep the school for over an hour each time. There was no evidence of an explosive device present in any of the cases.
It is unclear as of Monday evening if the student in custody was responsible for all four bomb threats, but he has been charged with two counts of making false bomb threats and two counts of using a two-way communication device, Behl said.
Similarly, in 2016 a 14-year-old Buchholz High School freshman was charged with three felony counts after making three false bomb threats. He had to pay $5,500 in restitution to the school board, $2,500 to ACSO and perform community service hours.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Contact Isabella Douglas at idouglas@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @Ad_Scribendum
Isabella Douglas is a fourth-year journalism major and the Fall 2023 editor-in-chief for The Alligator. She has previously worked as the digital managing editor, metro editor, criminal justice reporter and as a news assistant. When she isn't reporting, she can be found reorganizing her bookshelf and adding books to her ever-growing TBR.
