MHS senior charged in high school bomb threat
BY VICTORIA HURLEY-SCHUBERT
Staff Writer

MARLBORO - Police have arrested a suspect in connection with an April 24 bomb threat at Marlboro High School, Route 79.

One day before that arrest was made, another bomb scare had students spending more time out of class.

According to information provided by the Marlboro Police Department, Ross Warren, of Marlboro, an 18-year-old senior at the high school, was arrested on May 9 and charged with creating false public alarm in connection with the April 24 bomb scare. He was processed and released on $2,500 bail.

The charge can result in a prison term of between three and five years, and a fine of up to $15,000.

Meanwhile, police are still investigating a May 8 bomb threat at the high school, as well as a bomb threat that occurred at the high school about two months ago, Marlboro police Lt. Douglas Van Note said.

Van Note said there might be an update issued on the May 8 incident this week.

The April 24 incident started when a student found a piece of paper with the words "bomb to go off at noontime" on the floor in a hallway, Van Note said.

The building was evacuated and the threat had 18 Marlboro police officers and eight bomb sniffing dogs from Monmouth, Mercer and Middlesex counties at the school for hours, said police.

Another situation occurred on May 8, when the word "bomb" was written on a wall in the high school, said Ilse Whisner, public information officer for the Freehold Regional High School District.

"Last time a note, this time it's on a wall," she said. "We're hoping one of the kids will step forward, it's not cool."

Students were allowed back into the building at the end of the day on May 8 and were made to stay an extra 15 minutes. All after-school activities were canceled as a disciplinary action, said Whisner.

"It's another one of those unfortunate situations," she said. "We are actively pursuing the identification of (the May 8) offender and intend to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law."

Police received a call from high school administrators at about 11:40 a.m. May 8 and bomb dogs from the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office responded, said Lt. Steve Mennona, patrol commander of the Marlboro Police Department.

"We have to take each threat as a credible threat and investigate," he said.