Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Sweet Home Police took a 15-year-old girl into custody Wednesday, Oct. 24, after she allegedly phoned in a bomb threat to Sweet Home High School early that morning.
Cassie Marie Taylor, a high school freshman, was charged with first-degree disorderly conduct, a class A misdemeanor; initiating a false report, a class C misdemeanor; and menacing, a class A misdemeanor. She was lodged at Oak Creek Juvenile Detention Facility.
At approximately 6:30 a.m., the bomb threat came to officials’ attention, Sweet Home Police Detective Cyndi Pichardo said. “An unidentified person contacted the school and reported a bomb.”
The threat was left on the school’s answering machine at approximately 3 a.m., Pichardo said. Officer John Trahan and Assistant Principal Dave Goetz later received phone calls at their homes.
“As soon as that was realized, the school as well as Officer Trahan notified law enforcement,” Pichardo said. “Officers responded and began evacuating the school immediately.”
The small number of students who had arrived early were transferred to Sweet Home Junior High, and buses carrying high school students were diverted to the junior high. Police officers and firefighters responded to the high school.
Police searched the high school, declaring it clear at approximately 8:40 a.m., Pichardo said.
“Through a series of leads and tips, we were able to determine where the calls were placed from,” Pichardo said.
Taylor told police she couldn’t sleep and wanted school canceled the next day, Chief Bob Burford said. After not hearing anything about the high school being closed, she made her second and third phone calls.
“Such threats can have serious consequences; and they’re a crime,” Pichardo said.
District 55 Superintendent Larry Horton said “I received a call just shortly before 7 a.m. stating that the high school was being evacuated,” District 55 Supt. Larry Horton said. The police and firefighters were already on scene when Horton got there.
“I’d say the buildings were evacuated in two or three minutes,” Horton said, and the police did an excellent job coordinating the search.
After emergency officials determined there was no threat, high school students were transferred back to the high school where Trahan and Principal Pat Stineff spoke with the students. After that, they were given 15 to 20 minutes for breakfast before starting second period.
“We had a lot of kids come back,” Stineff said. “We did have some of the parents not having them come back.”
Those students who did not return because their parents were concerned about safety will be given the opportunity to make up missed work, Stineff said.
“The staff and kids were cooperative,” Stineff said. “The staff helped immensely. I really have to give Dave Goetz credit for helping conduct the investigation with Officer Trahan.”
“I just really want to thank both the Police Department and the fire department for their response, their professionalism and doing what they did,” Horton said. He also complimented his staff for keeping the students and themselves calm.