4 Students Caught With Knives At Santa Rosa Schools: Police

SANTA ROSA, CA — More students in Santa Rosa have been allegedly found to have knives in their possession following student arrests for similar weapons over the weekend and a fatal stabbing in a classroom two weeks ago, the Santa Rosa Police Department said.

Police received a call around 11:28 a.m. on Tuesday from Herbert Slater Middle School, 3500 Sonoma Ave., regarding a student who had allegedly been caught with a knife on campus.

Officers were advised that a 14-year-old student had drug paraphernalia in his possession and during a search of his backpack, officials allegedly found marijuana and a 5-inch fix blade knife.

The student was arrested for possession of a knife on school campus, SRPD said.

Then at 1:15 p.m., police got a call from school officials at Elsie Allen High School, located at 599 Bellevue Ave., regarding a student who was also allegedly caught with a knife on campus.

A teacher reported finding the knife on the floor of their classroom. Administrators said they questioned several students and called the police. The school said it determined who brought the knife to school.

The knife was a silver folding knife with a 3-inch blade, police said. The 15-year-old boy was arrested for possession of a knife on campus.

"In both cases, the teachers and school administrators acted quickly, followed established safety protocols, and immediately reported the incidents to law enforcement," said Sgt. Christopher Mahurin in a statement released by the department.

Two students in Santa Rosa were also arrested over the weekend for bringing knives to the same Santa Rosa school campus where a boy was stabbed to death two weeks ago.

In a press release sent out Monday, Santa Rosa police officials said the pair of Montgomery High School students was arrested after school administrators found them with the knives on campus.

School officials were alerted via a social media post of the possibility that a student might have brought a weapon to school, according to police.

When the 15-year-old student was called into the office, he was allegedly seen passing something that turned out to be a folding knife with a five-inch blade to a 17-year-old, police said.

When the 17-year-old's backpack was searched, school officials allegedly found a fixed-blade knife with a 7.5-inch blade.

Both boys were disciplined and sent home with their parents, police said. But they were then both arrested Saturday on suspicion of felony possession of a weapon on school grounds, police said.

On Monday, Santa Rosa City Schools district officials announced on its website that Montgomery High School Principal Adam Paulson and Assistant Principal Tyler Ahlborn were on leave and that a former principal, Laurie Fong will serve as principal for the rest of the school year.

Sixteen-year-old Montgomery High School student Jayden Jess Pienta was fatally stabbed March 1 during a fight in an art classroom, and a 15-year-old has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the death.

One week later, a 15-year-old student was found with a large hunting knife in their backpack at another Santa Rosa school, Amarosa Academy. That student was arrested and booked on suspicion of felony possession of a dangerous weapon on campus, police said.

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