VERO BEACH — Schoolmates of one of two teenagers accused of making bomb threats to Vero Beach High School have been writing letters of support for the accused.

Taren Lee Stage, 17, of the 1100 block of 39th Avenue Southwest was arrested in late April on charges of making six false bomb reports to the high school. The threats repeatedly forced evacuation of hundreds of students and staff during school hours from March to April.

The investigation is continuing.
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VERO BEACH — An educational security expert said the days and weeks that passed before arrests were made for the false bomb threats at Vero Beach High School isn’t unusual.

“You could have multiple threats made before the perpetrator is caught,” said Kenneth Trump, president of the National School Safety and Security Services, a Cleveland-based consulting firm. “Often the individuals making the calls have a tendency to tell others who weren’t involved and are caught that way.”
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April 23, 2009

VERO BEACH — Vero Beach High School students on Thursday were relieved when they found out the Sheriff’s Office made an arrest in connection with the recent threats, but some were surprised when the heard who was taken into custody that morning.

“No one really thinks he did it,” Cara Bartlett, 16, said of the arrest of Taren Lee Stage, 17.

Stage, a VBHS sophomore, was charged with six counts of making false bomb threats.

And at 6 p.m. Thursday, deputies also charged Brittany Ann Walker, 18, of the 300 block of 21st Avenue, with one count of making a false bomb threat, Indian River County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Deputy Jeff Luther said.

Josh Rivera, 16, said he sometimes plays football with Stage on the weekends.

“He’s all right,” Josh said. “I wouldn’t expect him to do it.”

Josh said Stage didn’t have a cellphone and his home phone wasn’t working.

Miranda Wyatt, 16, also was surprised by the arrest.

“I’ve talked to this guy like a million times. He’s so nice,” she said. (more…)