YHS student arrested after lock down; charged with making threat

By David Richards and Denise Aday

(Updated: Tuesday, April 22, 2008, 12:52 PM)

An 18-year-old Yosemite High School student was arrested Tuesday following nearly two hours of lock-down status on the 100-acre YHS campus.

Erica Stuart, public information officer with the Madera County Sheriff’s Department, identified the student as Joshua John Mark Pero.

Sheriff John Anderson said a call was made from a YHS pay phone to Sierra Telephone at around 11 a.m. The caller said he was depressed and that he had a gun. The sheriff’s department was then notified.

The campus lock down began shortly after 11 a.m. and continued until roughly 12:45 p.m.

During the lock down, deputies searched the campus for the person who made the call.

Stuart said that at around noon, Sgt. Matt Mollet reported that he had a student in custody.

Seniors were let off campus at around 12:45 p.m., while undergraduates were let go at 1:20 p.m.

YHS officials called a 2 p.m. staff meeting, and all activities and sporting events remained as scheduled.

“Both our students and staff responded appropriately,” said Steve Raupp, over the campus PA system after the lock down was over. “I want to thank everyone for their cooperation.”

Sheriff Anderson said no weapon was found.

Raupp later said that no other students were involved in the alleged incident.

“The sheriff’s department did a great job,” he said.

Testing was scheduled for Yosemite High School Tuesday and was then canceled after the lock down.

As of Tuesday afternoon, it was unknown when testing will be rescheduled.

Anderson said that his department doesn’t take this type of phone call lightly.

“You can’t,” he said. “You hear about these things all the time and sometimes they turn out to be disasters.”

Stuart said Pero is accused of making a bogus call and has been arrested on the charge of “threatening crime with intent to terrorize.”

Bail is set at $25,000.