Ridge Student Charged With Inducing Panic After Bomb Threat

The student accused of causing the bomb scare last week at Ridge Middle School has been arrested and charged with inducing panic.

The 13-year-old faces the juvenile equivalent of a second-degree felony.

On Thursday, Ridge Middle School was evacuated because of a bomb threat at the school. Mentor Police, along with school officials and a bomb-sniffing canine from Geauga County Sheriff's Office, searched the school and found it to be safe.

Mentor Schools officials have had to deal with four weapons threats this month -- all of which turned out be hoaxes.

This was also second bomb threat to occur at the district within a week.

On Feb. 19, a student who is suspected of writing a threat on the wall at Memorial Middle School and causing the bomb scare was arrested and charged with inducing panic.

That scare turned out to be a hoax. The school was searched as a safety precaution and no weapon was found.

Mentor Schools Superintendent Matthew Miller said the proliferation of gun and bomb threats were because students were copycatting.

All three district middle schools and the high school held assemblies last week in which authorities discussed the serious consequences of weapons threats -- even when students don't intend to follow through on their threats.

Among the possible consequences are criminal charges and possibly expulsion, school administrators explained.

Also on Mentor Patch:

• Mentor Police Investigating Shore Middle School Gun Threat

• Ridge Students Back In School After Bomb Threat Is Found To Be A Hoax

• Students Evacuated From Memorial Middle School Due To Bomb Threat

• Rumor Of Student Who Threatened To Bring Gun To Ridge Middle School Is Unsubstantiated

• Superintendent Miller: What We're Seeing Is Copycatting