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Police accuse CSUCI student of posting threat on Internet
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Dana Rene Bowler / Star staff CSU Channel Islands students listen to university officials discuss threats allegedly made by a student on the Internet site Facebook.com, Thursday evening on campus.
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More from County NewsAn 18-year-old freshman was pulled out of class at CSU Channel Islands in Camarillo on Thursday afternoon and arrested after she allegedly posted a threat on the Internet about going on a shooting spree.
The woman, identified as Alisha Salazar, allegedly posted the threat to her page on Facebook.com, a popular Web site used by college students across the nation as a place to meet and socialize.
A fellow student notified university officials of the posting, said John M. Reid, campus police chief and director of public safety at CSU Channel Islands.
In addition to mentioning a shooting spree, the message also contained a warning to students, Reid said.
"Watch out kiddies, better hide under that desk, ha, ha, ha," said Reid as he read the Facebook message to a crowd gathered in front of the campus's bell tower for a 5:45 p.m. news conference.
Salazar was questioned by police and then taken to Ventura County Jail where she remained Thursday evening on bail of $20,000. Reid said Salazar was being charged with making criminal threats, a felony.
Authorities did not release information about her hometown.
Police searched Salazar's campus residence hall room Thursday afternoon. They found no weapons, Reid said, but police did seize some of her writings.
Reid could not say what was contained in those writings as investigators were still going over them late Thursday.
The university sent out an e-mail to staff and students notifying them of Salazar's arrest.
Her arrest came on a day when college campuses and high schools across the nation received a flurry of threatening messages. The copycat threats are believed to be linked to Monday's Virginia Tech massacre, in which 32 people were shot to death before the gunman took his own life.
The massacre was the deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history.
Today marks exactly eight years since 12 students and a teacher where shot to death at Columbine High School in Colorado.
A 12,000-student school district in Yuba City was locked down Thursday as authorities searched for a man they say threatened to dwarf the Virginia Tech attacks.The man told a pastor Wednesday night that "he had some sort of explosive device and he was going to make the incident at Virginia Tech look mild by comparison," Sutter County Sheriff Jim Denney said.
Also on Thursday, a Web designer was charged with posting on his own site a bogus threat to kill 50 San Diego State University students. The designer, Cristobal Fernando Gonzalez, 32, then allegedly alerted a TV station to try to draw publicity, the FBI said.
Gonzalez faces one felony count of making a threatening communication through the Internet. He was being held on $30,000 bail.
CSU Channel Islands President Richard Rush addressed the crowd in front of the campus's bell tower, saying "This is not a happy occasion," for the university.
Rush also stressed that campus officials firmly "believe that the campus was never under any risk" Thursday.
"The university's principle concern at all times is for the safety of students," staff, faculty and others, Rush said.
CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed issued a statement Thursday afternoon, saying each of the system's 23 campuses "are prepared to maintain safety and to quickly respond and control emergency situations" in the wake of this week's killings at Virginia Tech.
Staff writer Adam Foxman and The Star's wire services contributed to this report.
Posted by Ventura22 on April 20, 2007 at 7:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What a moron. These are supposed to be future leaders of America? I guess this serves to weed out the stupid ones who flew-in under the radar. Why would anyone with half a functioning brain try something so stupid after such a horrific event when people are so sensitive and jittery about campus shootings?
Posted by ScumBuck on April 20, 2007 at 8:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
attention getting losers I assume
Posted by kosmoz13 on April 20, 2007 at 8:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
lock em up and throw away the key, they have no morals and no brain.
Posted by FedUp on April 20, 2007 at 9:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
attn getting losers for sure. sadly though, in this day and age, you need to take every threat seriously.
I can't understand why their bails are so low though. if these are felony charges, shouldn't their bail be a little higher than 20 or 30 thousand? put it up at a million, and let them stew in jail and think about how stupid they really are.
Posted by dana1230 on April 20, 2007 at 12:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Unfortunately this dumb little girl will probably get a slap on the wrist. And her parents will probably make excuses for her by saying she has emotional problems and she'll end up getting a bunch of sympathy for being unable to cope. It's so aggravating.
I say, send her the bill for all the money investigating her stupid actions cost us taxpayers!!
Posted by collegestudentforlife on April 20, 2007 at 12:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't know, dana. She's being charged with criminal threats, which is a felony, and my guess is that the school won't take the situation lightly.
As a student at CSUCI, I want to commend our campus for how quickly and calmly they handled this situation. If someone asked me if I felt safe on campus, I would 100% say yes.
Posted by connietrimble on April 20, 2007 at 3:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
No brains, no headaches. This girl obviously had no brain.
Posted by smithjc on April 20, 2007 at 5:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
collegestudentforlife, it's not up to the school to charge her, it's the district attorney that does it. they will file whatever they think that they can get a conviction for, which could end up being a much lower offense. also, if she is convicted of the felony charge and doesn't get sent to state prison (and i really don't think she will) it will be considered more misdemeanor than felony.
Posted by VeritasLuxMea on April 23, 2007 at 3:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Finally people are getting it right! We need more people control, not gun control. Kudos to the student who turned this person in. It is being aware of the environment and looking out for the community that saves lives, not banning firearms from sports enthusiasts or those who know that just the thought of a gun in a home is enough to deter crime or keeping one's family safe a night.
Too bad the warnings from the students at V Tech were disregarded because of politcally correct nonsense of not wanting infringe on someones self destructive self expression. BTW, last time I check, being rude in the classroom by wearing sunglasses, harassing girls, being direspectful, and writing threats got you kicked out of school. These PC fools promoted this psycho to the senior level. Amazing.
We now see (again) how important it is to watch out for yourself and community. Much like airline passengers preventing another 9/11.
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