St. Martin Parish Teen Arrested Over Threat Against Cecilia High
ST. MARTINVILLE, La. — A 15-year-old Cecilia High School student is facing a terrorizing and menacing charge after St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office investigators say she posted a threat against the school on social media.
Sheriff Becket Breaux said his office takes social media threats seriously, and he urged people, especially young people, to think through the consequences before posting or sharing one online.
St. Martin Crime Stoppers took a call about 7:54 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, reporting that a threat aimed at Cecilia High School was making the rounds on social media. Deputies moved quickly, opening an investigation and identifying a 15-year-old girl who attends the school as the student they believed was responsible.
The Charge She’s Facing
Investigators obtained an arrest warrant and booked the teen on terrorizing and menacing, an offense Louisiana law defines as communicating information that a violent crime is imminent or that public safety is at risk, intended to cause fear or disruption. The statute carries a maximum fine of $15,000 and up to 15 years in prison. Cases involving minors, though, typically stay in the juvenile justice system rather than adult court. After booking, the teen was released into her mother’s custody.
Cecilia campuses have dealt with social media threats before. A Cecilia Jr. High student faced a similar charge in 2023 after a threat spread on Snapchat, and a 12-year-old was booked on four counts of terrorizing in 2022 after threatening both a school and a sheriff’s office employee.
What Parents and Students Should Know
Breaux’s office has repeated the same message after past incidents: threats posted online, even the ones some students treat as jokes, get investigated and prosecuted just like any other criminal threat. Parents can help by talking with their kids about what counts as a threat and the legal weight it carries, whether or not the person posting intends to follow through.
