Update: Ceres 16-year-old arrested after bringing loaded gun to high school, police report
A Ceres teen was arrested Friday after photos circulating on social media showed he apparently brought a handgun to Central Valley High School, police said.
A staff member at the high school alerted Officer Lorenzo Beltran around 12:35 p.m. about reports of a possible gang-related fight, according to the Ceres Police Department.
Beltran, the resource officer for the school, talked to multiple students and learned there was a photo online that appeared to show a student had a handgun in a school restroom, police said. He then tracked down who posted the photo on social media and who possessed the gun.
In an announcement to families, the school said administration learned about the handgun around 3 p.m., after school had been dismissed for the day. However, an assistant superintendent clarified Monday evening that school was dismissed right after the investigation started and the 3 p.m. time was when investigators determined who had the gun.
Students were in school until 12:50 p.m. Friday, and the district determined right around that time that the gun was real, said Jay Simmonds, assistant superintendent of student support services for the Ceres Unified School District.
Though the district considered holding students, police said it was OK to release them at the scheduled time.
Ceres officers connected the photo to a Ceres address where the 16-year-old suspect lives. Officers arrested the boy and booked him into juvenile hall.
The teen faces multiple charges including possession of a firearm without serial numbers, possession of a weapon at school, child cruelty, carrying a loaded firearm not registered, carrying a loaded firearm in public with special circumstances, and possession of a concealable firearm by a minor.
Police believe this was an isolated incident between students who are minors. The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time.
Anyone with information should contact Beltran at lorenzo.beltran@ci.ceres.ca.us.
This story was originally published June 6, 2022 at 3:47 PM.
