A student at La Quinta High School in Westminster was arrested Tuesday morning after allegedly fleeing the campus and being found with a loaded firearm, police said.
At around 10:00 a.m. on April 28, a school resource officer responded to a report of a student vaping on campus. The student was escorted to the principal’s office without issue, but refused a search of his bag and ran from the school, police said in a news release.
The officer detained the student off campus. During a search, authorities said they found a loaded firearm in the student’s belongings.
A check of the weapon later revealed it did not have a serial number, with police identifying it as a “ghost gun,” according to the release.
Investigators searched the student’s home but did not find any additional firearms.
The student was booked into Orange County Juvenile Hall on weapons-related charges. Authorities did not release his identity because the student is a minor. His age was not given.
Police said they believe the incident was isolated and that there is no ongoing threat to the school or the surrounding community.