A 17-year-old boy was arrested and charged with terrorizing in connection with a threat that prompted Bethel-area schools to be closed Monday.

Oxford County sheriff’s deputies learned of the threat Sunday and were able to determine early on who had made it, but they couldn’t find him, said Chief Deputy Hart Daley.

Superintendent David Murphy of School Administrative District 44 said he made the decision to call off classes at 9:30 p.m. Sunday. Classes will resume Tuesday, he said.

A deputy found the boy walking along a road in Bethel around midnight, Daley said.

“There is no threat to school at this point,” he said.

A rumor about the threats spread among young people and eventually reached the attention of authorities, he said. There also was electronic correspondence that helped police identify and charge the youth, he said.

Classes had resumed last week following the winter break.

Just before the holidays, Windham and Raymond schools were shut down for three days after a youth threatened students and staff via emails. A 16-year-old boy was charged with felony terrorizing for forcing the evacuation of a government building.

Thornton Academy in Saco was closed the final two days before the winter break in response to a threat. The person responsible has not been identified, but activities were held at the school over the break and classes resumed Monday. Saco Deputy Police Chief Jeffrey Holland said the case remains under investigation and police are waiting for outside analysis to determine the location of the phone from which the threat was made.

 

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