VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — The San Diego County Sheriff's Department says an 18-year-old student was arrested Wednesday afternoon for bringing a ghost gun and liquor to Alta Vista High School.
Deputies say Eduardo Soto was stopped by school staff "because he appeared intoxicated" just before 1 p.m. As staff confronted Soto, he became aggressive and pushed one of them.
The sheriff's department press release says when security intervened, a blue and silver handgun fell out of Soto's jacket pocket. Security kept him detained until deputies from the Vista Sheriff's Station came to campus, the release says.
"Deputies determined the handgun was a ghost gun with no serial markings. Soto also had liquor, a handgun magazine and ammunition in his possession," the release says.
The sheriff's department says Soto was arrested on the following charges:
- Possession of a weapon on school grounds
- Carrying a handgun while not the registered owner
- Possession of a ghost gun
- Carrying a handgun
- Possession of liquor on school property
- Battery on a school official
Deputies say Soto did not threaten school staff or students. As of Thursday afternoon, he was held on a $25,000 bail at the Vista Detention Facility.
The sheriff's department says its school resource deputies are handling this investigation.
Thursday afternoon Vista Unified Superintendent Dr. Matt Doyle issued a safety update following the incident.
I am writing to share information with you regarding an incident that occurred yesterday on the Alta Vista High School campus with a student. Yesterday, local law enforcement arrested a student after they were found to be in possession of an unloaded firearm. I want to assure our community that no other students were engaged in this situation, and no one was harmed. A staff member who confronted the student was shoved by the student, and I share this detail to address any misinformation that may imply the situation involved physical harm. I am deeply grateful to staff for their immediate action and to local law enforcement, including our School Resource Officer, for their swift response to our call for assistance. Because this information has been released by law enforcement and out of respect for our school-home communication, I wanted to be sure that you received this information from me. Student and staff safety is our central priority on every campus in this district. Just this week, staff across the district completed a safety training to prepare for these types of situations. If you see or hear something, say something to an administrator or school staff member. We will continue to work as a coordinated team to keep our campuses safe.
