Threats to Ripon school employees leads to arrest

Ripon Police on Tuesday arrested a woman for allegedly threatening employees at Ripona Elementary School.

The threats were made over the phone to employees at the school at about 7:30 a.m., said Lt. Steve Merchant. He would not discuss the nature of the threats but said they were made to specific employees, not the school or its students.

Ripon police officers responded to the school to ensure the safety of the staff and students. Detectives with the Special Investigations Unit identified the suspect as 50-year-old Karen Marie Escobar and arrested her at her home in Hayward.

Merchant said Escobar is a former resident of Ripon. He did not know if she has any relatives who attend or attended Ripona.

Escober was arrested on suspicion of threatening school employees.

This story was originally published January 19, 2016 at 7:01 PM with the headline "Threats to Ripon school employees leads to arrest."