Female juvenile identified in Manhattan Beach school threat

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- A female juvenile has been identified as the author of at least one Manhattan Beach school threat on social media that prompted two schools to close.

Manhattan Beach Police investigators identified the female juvenile on Wednesday. She was interviewed by investigators but was not held in custody.

The juvenile is responsible for at least one of the postings on Yik Yak, an anonymous messaging smartphone app, police said. She is not a student in the Manhattan Beach Unified School District. The threats prompted the closure of two Manhattan Beach schools this week.

Mira Costa High School, located at 1401 Artesia Boulevard, announced the school would re-open Thursday morning. The campus was locked down Monday and closed on Tuesday and Wednesday while Manhattan Beach police and school officials investigated the threat.

A student discovered the online threat against Mira Costa High School, which stated: "If you go to Costa you should watch out very closely at school today." A second anonymous message was posted later Monday afternoon: "nice try costa, today was just a drill."

The Montessori School of Manhattan Beach's Peck campus, located nearby at 315 South Peck Avenue, was also closed Tuesday as a precautionary measure.

Mira Costa High officials said there would be increased police presence on campus Thursday. Entry points were to be restricted to four areas, and students were encouraged not to bring bags or backpacks to school. If students do, they are asked to arrive early and be prepared to have their bag or backpack searched.

An investigation into whether others were involved continues. Anyone with information was asked to call officials at (310) 802-5140.