Garden City High School Bomb Threat Arrest

Garden City, KS (April 29, 2024): Garden City Police have arrested Kevin Villegas, 16, in connection with a bomb threat made against Garden City High School earlier this year.

On February 20, Garden City High School received a phone call from an unknown individual indicating there was a bomb inside the school. All students and staff were immediately evacuated, and local law enforcement and first responders responded accordingly and searched the school. After a thorough investigation by law enforcement, no threats to the students, staff, or school were discovered, and no explosives were located.

Through further investigation, Officers were able to determine that Villegas of Syracuse, Kansas, was the individual who made the bomb threat.

On April 26, Villegas was located at his residence and taken into custody without incident. A search of the residence was conducted, where Officers located evidence of the crime. The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office also assisted with the arrest. Villegas has no direct ties to Garden City Public Schools, and the investigation is ongoing.

Villegas was lodged in the Southwest Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Center for Aggravated Criminal Threat and Unlawful Use of a Communication Device.

The Garden City Police Department and Garden City Public Schools take every threat seriously and will continue to partner to ensure the safety of students and staff and the community. We encourage parents to remind your child to immediately report information about any school safety-related incident(s) to administrators/staff and/or the Garden City Police Department.

*The person(s) involved has not yet been convicted of a crime and are presumed innocent. The presumption of innocence shall continue until such time that the person(s) accused may be found guilty by a court of law.*