Imperial County D.A. calls press conference to address recent school threats
EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – Imperial County District Attorney George Marquez, along with police chiefs from several cities, and the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO), held a press conference Tuesday morning.
Marquez said his office has received numerous calls from concerned parents.
“We are doing everything within our power to address these issues,” Marquez said.
Recent incidents include a stabbing outside an Imperial school that left two people injured and a child arrested, another incident allegedly involved ammunition at a football game, and threats that led to concerns at another school.
He encourages students to speak up if they see something.
“So our goal is to identify problems early and to intervene before a threat becomes an act of violence,” he explained. “We also have to recognize that our children are growing up in a very different world than many of us did.”
Marquez said his office works with school resource officers and law enforcement and takes every threat seriously.
“When it comes to Threats and weapons, I want to be very clear. If you hear about a threat, report it. If you see a concerning post, report it,” he explained. “If someone talks about bringing a weapon to school, report it. You do not have to determine whether the threat is real. That is our job. Our job is to investigate and determine what action needs to be take.”
Deputy District Attorney Sandy Hernandez, who deals with juvenile cases, echoed Marquez’s sentiment, adding that law enforcement tries to build trust in the community, so families and students feel safe enough to report threats.
“We are trying to prevent through education and just be a face in the community,” Hernandez said.
The message was clear: School threats will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Marquez sent a reassuring message to the parents of Imperial County children.
“Law enforcement is working hard to address the problems. The schools are working hard to address the problems. We are aware of the issues, and the system is working,” he said. “We have prevented stuff. We have arrested people.”
“When we get a case, it’s not one attorney who reviews it. We have multiple attorneys review it. We do roundtables. What is the best course of action in this particular case with the facts we have? What can we prove in a court of law? Because at the end of the day, we have to be able to prove our case,” Marquez added.
In a handout, the D.A. wrote, “The public should be aware that information related to Juvenile Court prosecutions is strictly prohibited from public disclosure, primarily through California Welfare and Institutions Code Section 827.”
“There’s a lot of frustration with the state of the juvenile laws in the state of California,” Marquez said. “We need more tools at our disposal when we identify someone who is extremely dangerous before something
“Parents need to have strong communication with their kids, and they need to know what they are looking at online,” he said from the podium. “They’re being exposed to things for their age that they shouldn’t be exposed to.”
Marquez said his office will continue to prosecute cases within the confines of the law and will continue to work with law enforcement at schools to keep students safe.
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