Los Angeles–A 19-year-old man was sentenced today to 16 months in state prison for threatening a high school with violent clown images on social media, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.
At today’s court appearance, William Salazar pleaded no contest to a felony count of making criminal threats. The defendant was immediately sentenced after the plea.
On October 5, law enforcement was alerted by officials at Sierra High School in Glendora of threats being made toward the institution, prosecutors said.
School officials pointed to a social media profile that showed menacing clown images warning of an impending attack at the high school, according to prosecutors.
Authorities immediately began an investigation into the case and identified Salazar as the possible assailant, prosecutors added.
The defendant was subsequently arrested and charged on Oct. 7 in connection with the incident.
