Parents Express Concerns After Righetti Student Arrested with Loaded Handgun
Jarrod Zinn
ORCUTT, Calif. (KEYT) – A Righetti High School student was arrested Monday afternoon in possession of marijuana vapes and a loaded handgun.
Local parents are expressing their concerns largely on social media.
The arrest is reported to have taken place at 1:30pm Monday, after the student was uncooperative and a school resource deputy had to get involved.
Some local parents took to social media to express their alarm.
“The school resource deputy for Righetti High School was alerted by school administrators that they were contacting somebody that was using a vape in a restroom,” says Raquel Zick, spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. “When the deputy responded, which took him less than a minute because he was already on campus, he attempted to contact the student. The student failed to comply and the deputy had to physically take him into custody.”
Some of the online comments are concerned the school’s announcement in response did not make it clear the weapon that was found was a loaded firearm.
The sheriff’s office says right now this appears to be an isolated incident.
“We do want people to know that there’s no additional charge that goes with that possession of the revolver,” says Zick. “There’s no indication that this was furtherance of an additional crime. So right now it’s just the possession of the revolver, the vape on campus, and the resisting arrest charge.”
The school deputy sustained minor injuries but is already back on the job.
A few parents say they have let their kids stay home from school following the arrest.
On Monday, the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District released the following statement.
“Earlier this afternoon, members of the RHS admin and security team initiated a search of a student based on concerns regarding possible drug activity. The student did not cooperate, prompting the involvement of the School Resource Deputy (SRD). During the search, a weapon was discovered and immediately secured. The student was taken into custody by the SRD without incident.
The RHS Administration would like to reassure our school community that the safety of our students and staff is our highest priority. The Administration is treating this matter with the utmost seriousness and is working closely with law enforcement to ensure appropriate action is taken.”
On Tuesday, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District spokesman Kenny Klein told us quote,
“We are continuing to cooperate with an active law enforcement investigation so there’s not much I can say at this time. counseling services have been made available for those that request it. lastly, I’d like to re-emphasize that the safety of our students and staff is our highest priority.’’
Some folks online say incidents like these are why some parents are opting for home-schooling.
According to the pew research center, a post-pandemic surge in homeschooling is fueled by the recent rise in violence-related incidents at public schools.
The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With The Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.