Teen Arrested For Threats Against Valencia School Referencing 'Avengers'

VALENCIA (CBSLA) – An eighth grade boy was arrested Wednesday night for making threats against Rio Norte Junior High School in Valencia which referenced the "Avengers: Endgame" movie, authorities said.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reports that deputies were called to boy's home at around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday after he allegedly sent alarming text messages to his classmates, one of which read "I wish the Infinity Gauntlet was real so I could snap you out of existence."

In the "Avengers" movies, the villain Thanos wore the Infinity Gauntlet and accompanying stones as he snapped his fingers and wiped out half of all life throughout the universe.

The suspect sent the texts to a "small group of Rio Norte students," who became fearful, informed their parents, who in turn contacted authorities, the William S. Hart Union High School District said in an email sent out to parents.

Deputies found no weapons or access to weapons in the boy's home and do not believe he had the means to follow through on the threat, the sheriff's department said. He was arrested on charges of making criminal threats and then released back in to the custody of his parents.

"We are grateful to the students and parents that brought the information to our attention, and to the Sheriff's department for a swift response," the district wrote in its email to parents.

The sheriff's department had extra patrols at the school Thursday, but no classes were canceled and school was going on as scheduled.

Rio Norte is a seventh and eighth grade school located at 28771 Rio Norte Dr.