Santa Rosa High School student arrested after attack with kitchen knife, officials say

A Santa Rosa High School student was hurt Wednesday during an on-campus fight with a classmate, who was armed with a kitchen knife, officials said.

The student’s injuries were not considered life threatening, according to a letter Principal Mark Ryan sent to students’ families and staff Wednesday afternoon.

The 14-year-old was treated for multiple lacerations to the left side of his torso before being released from an area hospital, according to the Santa Rosa Police Department.

In his letter, which was obtained by The Press Democrat, Principal Ryan does not identify the student with the knife. He does say that security cameras filmed the student, who authorities said is 16, leaving campus after the fight.

At about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, the 16-year-old was arrested at his home in the 1400 block of West Avenue on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Santa Rosa police Sgt. Patricia Seffens said.

Police confiscated a knife with a 7-inch blade. The entire knife, including the handle, was 13 inches. Further investigation will determine whether it was the one used in the attack.

According to police, the victim had been targeted and the stabbing was an “isolated incident.”

“It is believed the incident is gang-related due to statements made by both parties during the initial confrontation,” Seffens said.

The fight occurred at about 8:30 a.m. on the west side of campus near the school’s football and baseball fields. The armed student carried the knife in his waistband and slashed the other student on his side and back, according to the principal’s letter.

Police say the suspect was armed with a knife and he attacked the victim after pushing him to the ground.

“The victim was able to run away, and both parties fled in different directions,” police wrote in a news release.

Officials said the injured student called a family member who picked him up from school and took him to a hospital.

A parent of the injured student contacted school officials more than 30 minutes after the fight.

Seffens said police were notified around 10:15 a.m.

No lockdown was initiated because the armed student had already left campus, officials said.

Santa Rosa police remained on campus for much of Wednesday.

In his letter, Ryan said, “We have received multiple ... tips from students since the incidents and we appreciate the submissions. We ask that students and staff remain vigilant and report anything they may hear or see to help us ensure school safety.”

Forty-five minutes before being called to Santa Rosa High School Wednesday, police had begun investigating a student with a knife at Montgomery High School.

Montgomery staff called police around 9:30 a.m. about a 14-year-old student who left campus when they tried to search him for a knife, police said.

Police were on their way to campus when school staff detained the boy near Hahman Drive and Patio Court.

Staff searched his backpack and found a 9-inch folding knife with a 4-inch blade.

Police say school officials got an anonymous tip about the knife around 5 p.m. Tuesday. He showed up to his first-period class Wednesday and was escorted to the office where school officials tried to verify he had the weapon.

“The student refused to comply with being searched and walked away from campus,” police wrote in a news release.

He was arrested on suspicion of having a knife on campus.

The incidents occurred two days after a Sonoma County Juvenile Court judge ruled that a former Montgomery High School freshman was not responsible for a fatal stabbing that occurred in a classroom at the school on March 1.

Daniel Pulido had been accused of fatally stabbing Jayden Pienta, a 16-year-old junior, who entered an art class and attacked Pulido while other students and staff were present.

Judge Ken Gnoss ruled that Pulido, who was 15 at the time, was responsible for having a weapon on campus, but he wasn’t responsible for Pienta’s death.

Montgomery and Santa Rosa high schools are both part of the Santa Rosa City Schools district.

In the wake of the fatal stabbing at Montgomery, students and parents have decried campus violence and demanded safety improvements.

Numerous incidents have been reported involving students with weapons on various campuses within the Santa Rosa City Schools district.

Most recently, on Oct. 26, Piner High School students sheltered in place as authorities investigated a report of a student who threatened others with a knife.

You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @colin_atagi