Calaveras middle school custodian accused of threatening to bring gun on campus

A custodian at a Calaveras County middle school was arrested Monday evening after allegedly threatening to bring a gun on campus following a workplace dispute.

An administrator from Toyon Middle School, off of Highway 12 east of Valley Springs, called the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office just before 8 p.m. to report the threat, according to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies were told 72-year-old Fred Westbrook, of Mokelumne Hill, a custodian at the school, had been involved in a dispute with a co-worker.

“Westbrook reportedly threatened this co-worker and also made several statements to other subjects mentioning bringing a firearm to work,” reads the press release. “When the school administration was made aware of the statements ... immediate action was taken to ensure that Westbrook was not on campus and the Sheriff’s Office was called to investigate the incident.”

Westbrook was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats and is being held on $50,000 bail.

The sheriff’s office is continuing to investigate the incident.

“The criminal threats involving this case stem from a dispute between co-workers and threat of workplace violence,” reads the press release. “Given that the workplace in this incident is a middle school campus, the seriousness of the situation was recognized and immediate intervention and action was taken.”

There were no reported threats against students, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch at 209-754-6500 or call the anonymous tip line at 209-754-6030.

This story was originally published October 30, 2018 at 12:43 PM.