Student arrested after being found with replica firearm in Spring Valley

SPRING VALLEY, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) -- A student in East County has been arrested on suspicion of threatening another student and bringing a replica BB gun to school, authorities said Tuesday in a press release.

On Monday just before 2:30 p.m., the San Diego County Sheriff's Communication Center received a call regarding a school threat at STEAM Academy, located in the 1000 block of Leland Street in Spring Valley.

When deputies from the Rancho San Diego Sheriff's Station arrived, school administrators identified the suspect as a student who had already been sent to the school office, the release stated.

Deputies and school administrators decided to place STEAM Academy on "secure campus status" just before 3 p.m. out of an abundance of caution, authorities said. Classroom instruction was allowed to continue during this time as long as doors were locked, they added.

Deputies from the Lemon Grove and Imperial Beach substations, as well as explosives detection K-9s, were called in to do a room-by-room search of the campus, authorities said. During the search, a replica BB gun was found. The secure campus status was lifted around 5 p.m. and students were released to their parents, authorities said.

The suspect, whose name will not be released by the sheriff's office due to being a minor, was arrested and booked into Juvenile Hall for criminal threats and openly displaying a replica firearm in a public place.

The investigation is ongoing.