2004 Media Releases:

CAMDEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE
VINCENT P. SARUBBI, CAMDEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR
MEDIA   INFORMATION

May 11, 2004

Camden County Prosecutor Vincent P. Sarubbi reported today that a Superior Court judge on Monday, May 10, 2004, declined to detain a 15-year-old male arrested Friday, May 7, 2004, at the Camden County Technical School in Pennsauken, N.J., on charges that he pointing a loaded semi-automatic handgun at the head of a fellow student.

The juvenile, a Camden resident, appeared in court Monday after spending the weekend in custody at the Camden County Youth Detention Center in Gloucester Township. Judge Angelo DiCamillo released the juvenile on an electronic monitoring program administered by the detention center and sent him home.

It is alleged that the juvenile removed the weapon from its storage place in his home, brought it to school and pointed it at the head of a 14-year-old male student in a school wash room. It is further alleged that the juvenile threatened to shoot the victim, who immediately reported the incident to school officials. When confronted by school officials, the juvenile struggled with staff members before being restrained. A handgun containing eight live 9 mm bullets was removed from the youth's pants pocket.

School officials alerted Pennsauken Police, who charged the juvenile with Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, Possession of a Weapon on School Grounds and Terroristic Threats, Pennsauken Police Chief John Coffey reported. If adjudicated delinquent on all charges, the juvenile would face up to 8½ years incarceration.

Sarubbi's office on Monday sought to continue the juvenile's detention pending the resolution of the charges. Judge DiCamillo ordered that the juvenile be released and further ordered that he be enrolled into the Camden School District within one week. The judge directed that additional firearms at the juvenile's residence be removed.

All persons charged with criminal offenses are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.