|
Student charged for alleged
threats to blow up lockers at Thomas Worthington
Thursday, November 22, 2007 CANDY BROOKS Police are trying to determine why a 16-year-old Thomas Worthington High School student would threaten to bomb the lockers of two classmates. "The motive and the relationships are unknown at this time," Worthington Lt. Doug Francis said two days after arresting the boy at the high school. Andrew Crowe, 6005 Flora Villa Drive, was taken into custody at noon last Wednesday, Nov. 14. He was charged with two felony counts of menacing by stalking and six misdemeanor counts of aggravated menacing. Police believe Crowe wrote three notes to two students and left them in their lockers. The first notes, left on Oct. 26, threatened to bomb their lockers. The second notes stated that the author would "get them and that they could not hide," according to police. A third note, left in the lockers on Oct. 30, warned the students that their time was limited. The notes were left during the time that a rash of other bomb threats were phoned into the school and left on restroom walls. Francis said it is not known if Crowe was involved in the other threats. Police were led to Crowe after Thomas Worthington teachers identified several students whose handwriting looked similar to that in the notes. The suspect and his mother were asked to come into police headquarters, where they agreed that Crowe would give detectives a sample of his handwriting. The sample was sent to a handwriting expert for forensic analysis. Worthington police have used the same expert for years, and expect his testimony to stand up in court. "In his opinion, the person responsible for the notes wrote the sample," Francis said. After receiving the confirmation from the expert, police got warrants to search the suspect's person, backpack and locker. A decision was made to make the arrest at the school so that those searches could take place at the same time, Francis said. Crowe, who was cooperative, police said, was taken to the Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center. Since the case will be heard in juvenile court, the penalty cannot be predicted. Juveniles judges generally make their decisions based upon rehabilitation goals, Francis said. "The purpose of the charges is to show the judge how serious the charges are, and how many there are," he said. "We respect the jurisdiction of juvenile judges in these matters." Police continue to search for those responsible for the other bomb threats. A threat was made by telephone on Oct. 18. On Oct. 24, written threats were found on stall walls in two boys' restrooms. A racial slur was written next to one of the threats. |