MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA – A 23-year-old woman with a history of making criminal threats in Riverside County was taken into custody after allegedly making threats against Thompson Middle School in Murrieta this week.
Julianna Ortgega of Menifee was arrested Wednesday morning as part of a Murrieta police investigation that began Tuesday after online threats were made against the school, police Lt. Jeremy Durrant said.
When investigators traced the alleged threats to Ortgega, she was questioned and subsequently taken into custody. A search of her apartment did not find any weapons or explosive devices, Durrant said.
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A motive for the alleged threats was unclear, but Ortgega is known to law enforcement. In May 2023, she was found guilty of three counts of criminal threatening and sentenced to prison, according to Riverside County court records.
Durrant said Ortgega targeted Shivela Middle School in Murrieta and others in Riverside County.
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Ortgega was on probation at the time of the alleged threats Tuesday, Durrant said. According to court records, she was scheduled to appear in court as early as Sept. 25 to plead to alleged probation violations, including resisting arrest.
According to court records, Ortgega has no prior drug or alcohol convictions in Riverside County.
Thompson Middle School students and staff are safe and Durrant said there were no injuries.
“We take the safety of our schools extremely seriously and are confident that this matter has been resolved,” the lieutenant said. “Regardless, we will continue to maintain a heightened level of vigilance at Thompson and all schools in our district.”
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