Judge: Teen accused in bomb threat to remain in custody

LIMA — A judge ordered the 17-year-old boy accused of calling in a bomb threat to Lima Senior High School this week to remain in custody.An attorney for Paul Minor Jr. did not challenge the request to detain Minor. Assistant Allen County Prosecutor Chris Steffan said Minor's case will be reviewed to determine the appropriate charges against him. There could be additional charges. Minor was arrested on the charge of inducing panic, a second-degree felony. Steffan also said the case will be reviewed to determine whether to try Minor as an adult, in which case he would face much harsher punishment. If Minor is tried as a juvenile, he would face being placed in a prison for children until no later than his 21st birthday. The next hearing likely will take place later this month. Whatever charges are filed will be read to Minor and he will have the chance to enter a plea. Lima Police Officer Bob Stoodt said the call came into the Allen County sheriff's 911 center at 8:44 a.m. Tuesday“The defendant said there is a bomb going off at Lima Senior at lunchtime,” Stoodt said. The school was evacuated and students were sent to an off-site location. Parents were called to pick up their students, Stoodt said. “This caused panic and alarm,” Stoodt said.Stoodt asked Judge Glenn Derryberry to keep Minor in custody to protect the community and for his own protection. Minor was on parole with the Ohio Department of Youth Services for another case, the nature of which wasn't disclosed. Parole Officer Debra Parker said he was placed on GPS monitoring on Jan. 31 but let his monitor's battery die Feb. 22, so she could not locate him, which violated his parole. Parker also requested Minor be detained. Police have not said exactly what led them to Minor other than they did receive tips and worked with the phone company. Minor appeared in juvenile court Thursday with his mother sitting next to him. She left the courtroom in tears before the hearing began. When she returned, she sat next to her son. Police said Minor is not a suspect in last week's bomb threat at Lima Senior. He may be a copycat, Lima police Lt. Jim Baker said. There have been no arrests in last week's bomb scare. Lima schools Superintendent Karel Oxley said the district wants police to pursue the matter to the full extent of the law. She wants a message sent to deter other students from taking part in the same behavior. Minor was a student at Lima Senior but was on “home instruction” for attendance issues, Baker said. The 1,200 students at Lima Senior will have to make up the time missed from both threats. Oxley is adding time on to the day each Wednesday, she said.