Crime & Safety

Trabuco Student Arrested for Felony Bomb Threat

The 18-year-old Trabuco Hills High student allegedly emailed a bomb threat that locked down the campus Wednesday.

They're calling it a felony. Deputies arrested 18-year-old Trabuco Hills High student Julien Briaire of Foothill Ranch for allegedly emailing a bomb threat Wednesday from campus, according to Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino.

The threat forced the entire school into a lockdown and ended the school day prematurely.

Briaire was arrested around 4:30 p.m. after OCSD's School Mobile Assessment and Resource Team secured warrants and traced the threatening email back to the school campus, Amormino said. A motive for the threat is still being determined, he said.

Find out what's happening in Mission Viejowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"I can't stress enough how seriously we take these calls," he said. "It's definitely not a laughing matter. For a student to create that kind of fear and terror is a horrible act."

He said the threat was taken particularly seriously in light of recent violent attacks.

Find out what's happening in Mission Viejowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Patch commenters asked Wednesday why students were kept in one place following a bomb threat. Amormino said students are locked down in classrooms to give investigators time to search and clear a threatened area.

"Every square inch was thoroughly searched," he said.

One commenter wondered why students were told to congregate at the student multipurpose room after they were released from class.

Amormino said investigators had searched that area and determined it was safe before students were allowed there.

How do you feel about the arrest? Tell us in the comments below.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.