Booker T. Washington High student arrested for writing threats – NBC 6 South Florida
A student at Booker T. Washington Senior High School in Miami was arrested for allegedly making threats in his journal.
Andre Garcia was arrested Thursday on one count of making written threats to kill or do bodily injury, records showed.
On Thursday, Miami-Dade Schools Police got a tip that the 18-year-old was writing threats in a notebook.
A tipster told school officials, “there’s a senior by the name of Andres Garcia who has become overly negative and aggressive towards his peers.” The tipster added they saw “writings in his journal talking about shooting up the school and killing people.”
When Garcia was searched he was found with a notebook that contained multiple threats that included a drawing of a gun and a bullet shooting a stick figure with the statement “everyone deserves to die,” an arrest report said.
Garcia, who family members described as a well-performing student with dreams of going to college, was displaying rapid speech, flight of thought, no eye contact, quick movements, and mood changes, according to records.
When police interviewed the teen, Garcia told them he had thoughts about killing people but does not think he would act upon it.
The teen’s father broke down in court during his sons first appearance, stating in Spanish, “I never imagined he would be in this situation. He had good friends. He gets along with everyone. He helps everyone.”
NBC6 spoke to several students at Booker T. Washington who had class with Garcia.
“He just looked like a normal person,” said one student who was surprised to learn his classmate was arrested.
“I have seen him. He didn’t act that strangely. He wasn’t that bad,” said another student.
Judge Mindy Glazer recommended the teen be sent to a hospital. She offered to have the jail send the teen to get medical care.
However, at their request, Garcia’s family was granted a bond after promising to take him to the hospital themselves.
“Miami-Dade County Public Schools was made aware of a possible threat involving a student from Booker T. Washington Senior High through an anonymous tip. After a thorough investigation, the student was subsequently arrested,” Miami-Dade Public Schools assistant Superintendent Jaquelyn Calzadilla Diaz said in a statement. “This school district will continue to exercise a zero-tolerance policy against this type of behavior. We ask that parents speak to their children about the lifelong consequences that making threats of any kind may bring.”
