Sheriff’s office: Boy, 10, responsible for sending death threats

A 10-year-old boy used his mother’s cell phone to send a threatening message to a classmate at Emilie Ross Middle School last week, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department.

The text that read, “wachout” and “Tomorrow at Emily j Ross middle school you die …” was sent to a 13-year-old girl on Aug. 17, according to a column by The Bee’s Jeff Jardine.

Hughson Police Services was called to investigate the threatening cell phone message.

Detective Jesse Tovar and Deputy Dennis Wallace interviewed students and authored search warrants to identify who sent the text message. Tovar on Tuesday identified the culprit as the young boy and were told he sent the text as a joke, according to a press release.

Based off the investigation and the boy’s age the case has been referred to the District Attorney’s Office for charges of criminal threats, according to the release. The student’s parents and Hughson Unified School District have been notified of the findings.

This story was originally published August 23, 2016 at 6:51 PM with the headline "Sheriff’s office: Boy, 10, responsible for sending death threats."