Teen suspect faces charges in online threat to Farmington school
Police were alerted to threat Tuesday afternoon
- Farmington police announced Tuesday they were investigating the threat and asked citizens with information to call nonemergency dispatch.
- Farmington schools Superintendent Gene Schmidt said the district will prosecute people who make social media posts that threaten student safety.
- Farmington police are pursuing charges against the 14-year-old juvenile female.
FARMINGTON — Charges are pending against a juvenile female who is accused of making a threat on social media toward a Farmington middle school.
An investigation involving the Farmington Police Department led to a 14-year-old female being identified as a suspect who is accused of making a threat toward Tibbetts Middle School, according to a post on the Farmington Police Department's Facebook page.
Georgette Allen, Farmington police spokeswoman, did not have additional details on the case.
The department initially posted that around 4:36 p.m. Tuesday, it was alerted to a possible threat toward the middle school and was asking citizens with information to call nonemergency dispatch.
The Facebook post was updated today to state detectives had identified a suspect and charges were pending against her.
Farmington Municipal School District Superintendent Gene Schmidt described Farmington police as a wonderful partner in the district's effort to keep students and staff safe. He said he appreciated the amount of work that went into the investigation.
"I was very impressed with the seriousness of the approach and the human capital invested in the investigation," Schmidt said.
Schmidt also said students who make social media posts that threaten student and staff safety are in violation of the educational process, and the district will do whatever it can to prosecute people who make those threats.
Administrators from Tibbetts Middle School collaborated with Farmington police to identify the suspect, Schmidt said.
Farmington police had an increased presence at Tibbetts Middle School today as a precaution following the threat.
More:Man pleads not guilty in Bloomfield school threat case
Two arrested after online threat causes Bloomfield school evacuation
A threat made to Charlie Y. Brown Alternative School on Feb. 15 on Facebook led to the Bloomfield school being evacuated and cleared Friday morning.
Two people, including a 17-year-old male, were charged with a petty misdemeanor count of interfering with the educational process.
The FBI is pursuing charges against the juvenile male in that case, San Juan County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Jayme Harcrow told The Daily Times Friday night.
Joshua Kellogg covers crime, courts and social issues for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4627 or via email at jkellogg@daily-times.com.