Teen held in threats on Web to Monroe school
12/20/2012MONROE — A Monroe teenager accused of threatening to set fire to his high school and posting other intimidating comments on social media Web sites appeared Wednesday in Monroe County District Court.
During the arraignment before Judge Mark Braunlich, Marcus Woods, 17, was ordered held in the Monroe County jail in lieu of $100,000. He is charged as an adult with making a false report or threat of terrorism and using a computer to commit a crime. The offenses, both felonies, carry 20-year and seven-year sentences, respectively.
Police arrested the teen Monday afternoon in Orchard Center High School after school officials said students told them he mentioned setting fire to the alternative school in Monroe.
David Drewyor, superintendent of Mason Consolidated Schools, which operates the school, said the principal was alerted to threatening posts on Facebook and Twitter.
Joseph Costello, Jr., chief assistant in the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office, said the tweets made reference to the school shooting rampage in Newtown, Conn., last week.
Judge Braunlich told the Woods youth that if he were released from jail on bond, he is forbidden from going onto high school property or from having any communication with students or staff, and he would be banned from the premises of any school in the state.
The accused is expected to return to District Court next Thursday for a pretrial hearing.
A preliminary exam in the case has been scheduled for Jan. 2.