Minor detained after making threats on social media against Newport-Mesa schools

A minor was detained on Saturday after allegedly making social media posts that rose to the level of a criminal threat against some high schools in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

District officials were notified of the posts on Saturday and informed the Newport Beach and Costa Mesa police departments of the matter. Authorities, in a release issued that same day, described the posts as inappropriate, but not at first considered to be at the level of a criminal threat. Later posts threatened physical harm.

Newport Beach police said they identified the person posting the threats and found the youth had no means to carry out the threats. The suspect was later detained and transferred to the Orange County Juvenile Hall.

Because the suspect is a minor, no other details, such as their age, gender or school were released.

Both the district and police declined to state which platform the threats were posted to, nor would they elaborate further on any specifics of the threats, only stating that they were not credible and that additional safety patrols would be conducted throughout the week.

“We appreciate our local police departments and site administrators for quickly supporting our schools and investigating this matter, as well as our communities, who have followed our longstanding practice of ‘see something, say something,’” said a district release addressing the incident Saturday night.

Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.