A 20-year-old Menifee resident and former graduated of Paloma High School was arrested for making threats related to a school.
On September 9 at approximately 3:30 p.m., the Menifee Police Department received a call for service from a concerned parent regarding threatening statements posted to social media. The person responsible for the post indicated they were on their way to Paloma Valley High School, Menifee Police Chief Pat Walsh said.
Officers and detectives immediately responded to the school and began to investigate the source of the threats and to determine if the threats were credible. Detectives authored search warrants for the social media account used to disseminate the threats.
Detectives were able to identify Menifee resident Julianna Ortega, 20, as the suspect. Ortega graduated from Paloma High School in 2018, according to the Menifee Police Department.
Ortega was located driving near Haun Road and Newport Road. A vehicle stop was conducted and Ortega was detained as the sole occupant of the vehicle. According to Menifee Police Chief Pat Walsh, Ortega admitted to
posting the threatening statements on social media. It was determined that Ortega acted alone and did not have the current means to act on the stated threats, Chief Walsh said.
Ortega was arrested for felony threats related to a school, PC 422.2 (a), and was booked into custody at the Cois Byrd Detention Center.
