Teen questioned over Perry school threats

Carpentersville police questioned and released a teenage boy this week in connection with threatening phone calls made to a local elementary school.

Police Thursday confirmed the teen's questioning while calling a statement issued by the Community Unit District 300 earlier in the day technically correct, but misleading.

The statement, as well as a letter to parents of Perry Elementary School students, indicated police had arrested the teen.

Carpentersville Police Cmdr. Tim Bosshart later said the teen was "technically arrested," but that no charges were filed and he later was released.

"Technically he was arrested, he was placed into a squad car," Bosshart said after meeting with school officials. "But he was released after questioning. I don't want people to think that this case is closed."

Details of the police questioning were not available Thursday, but school district officials said the 15-year-old "fully confessed to his involvement" to an assistant principal at Dundee Crown High School on Wednesday.

"He said the calls were only a prank and that he did not intend to carry out the threats," the district release said. "Police and the phone company worked to trace the call to the Michigan area; the DCHS student admitted to having worked with a former D300 student - who now lives in Michigan - to carry out the threatening calls against Perry and its Boys & Girls Club office."

The calls are believed to have originated in Michigan and police have a suspect there who is not yet in custody, Bosshart said. An arrest likely will not happen until next week, he said.

It is unclear whether the Dundee-Crown student questioned pointed police to the Michigan suspect, or if the threatening phone calls were traced there, Bosshart said.

Police and school officials heightened security at Perry on Monday after phone messages threatening violence were left at the school and its Dundee Township Boys and Girls Club site.

Allison Smith, District 300's communication supervisor, said there was a "miscommunication" between the district and the police department that led to the confusion Thursday.

An updated release posted on the district's Web site later Thursday says a suspect was questioned. Prior accounts of an arrest and confession had been removed. Smith said the word "arrested" was removed as a goodwill gesture to the police department and the student's statements were removed to ensure any pending legal action is not tainted.