POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Polk County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 15-year-old Tenoroc High School student for bringing a gun on campus.
According to deputies, on Wednesday, just after 8:00 a.m., the school resource deputy at Tenoroc High School, 4905 Saddle Creek Road in Lakeland, received an anonymous tip that a student allegedly brought a gun to school.
The SRD identified and located the suspect, Santiago Soto-Garcia, 15, and found a pistol in his jacket pocket, and a magazine with 12 rounds in it in his pants pocket.
During the investigation, the deputy learned he threatened a student with the firearm as well.
“I was able to determine the identity of the defendant, Santiago Soto-Garcia, and determine his location as room 2-116. Several school administrators (Principal Jason Looney, Assistant Principal Travian Smith, and Dean Irving Strickland) and I immediately responded to the classroom. I entered room 2-116 through an exterior courtyard door and observed the defendant sitting in the far northeast corner of the classroom wearing the above-described jacket. He was removed from the classroom and secured. I located a large hard object in the defendant’s jacket and the defendant stated that he had “it” in his right front interior jacket pocket,” said the SRD.
“I was advised that the defendant had threatened a student in the bathroom. Contact was made with the victim in the administrative offices. The victim advised he walked into the bathroom and saw multiple subjects in the stall. The victim observed the defendant at which time the defendant said “f**k ni**a” to the victim two times. The victim then walked away to the hand dryers before the defendant followed him and stated that he would shoot him,” said the SRD.
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The victim added that while making this statement the defendant reached into the inner pocket of his jacket on the right side and pulled up what the victim identified as a gun.
Santiago Soto-Garcia, 15, has been charged with: Possession of a firearm on school campus (F3) Carrying a concealed firearm (F3) Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (F3) Disruption of a school function (M2) Possession of a firearm by someone under 18 (M1) Possession of a firearm with an altered serial number (M1).
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