A high school student in Baytown accused of sending a bomb threat to Texas A&M University Monday told Baytown police it was a prank.
The 16 year old now faces up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 dollars following his arrest for making a terroristic threat against an institution.
University Police Sgt. Allan Baron says Monday’s threat was sent from a school computer to A&M’s library chat resource service. That led the the evacuation of an estimated 1,000 people from two libraries and the student computer center.
Baytown Police Cpl. Edgar Elizondo says less than four hours after the threat, their officers were at the school, located in the Goose Creek ISD, where the threat originated.
Elizondo says school officials conducted an internal investigation and identified the sender as a 16 year old student who confessed to school officials. The student admitted that he had sent the communication as a “prank.”
Elizondo says the student was arrested and transported to the Baytown City Jail where he was processed and later released to the custody of his parents.
Elizondo added school officials are also taking action against the student and advised that he would be assigned to the GSISD’s Community Guidance Center (SCGC) for the next 30 days.