Questions linger in campus stabbing

Marisa O’Neil

Students were speculating and parents were seeking answers Thursday

at Corona del Mar High School, as police continued to investigate an

incident in which a boy was stabbed on campus.

The boy, whose name and age authorities have not released,

suffered a cut on his face in a campus boys’ bathroom on Monday

morning, Newport Beach Police said. But with little information

released about the incident -- because of the ongoing investigation

-- many are speculating about what happened.

“The rumors have been going around,” 15-year-old Corona del Mar

student Stephanie Figge said.

Stephanie, who said she knows the sophomore boy who was injured,

said he had additional wounds. But neither police nor school

officials would verify that.

School officials made a general announcement about the incident

during class on Tuesday and sent a message to parents by phone, said

Jaime Castellanos, assistant superintendent for secondary education

for Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

While police are handling the investigation, they have not made

any arrests in the case. Detectives are still verifying the boy’s

story, Newport Beach Police Sgt. Steve Shulman said.

The boy suffered a cut on his cheek that required stitches but was

fine other than that, Shulman said. He has been released from the

hospital, officials said.

Administrators could not provide much more detail about the

stabbing.

“We do know a kid was cut in the face in the bathroom,”

Castellanos confirmed. “We don’t know if it was an outside source or

not. The only thing we can verify is that he was injured in one of

the boys’ bathrooms.”

Several parents expressed their concern about the incident but

were unwilling to be identified for this story. Many had more

questions than facts about what happened.

The lack of information seems to be leaving the door open for some

to fill in the blanks themselves. Student Riley Peters, 14, said he’s

heard two versions of what happened but doesn’t know which, if

either, is true.

Despite assurances from police and school officials that the

campus is safe, Riley said he’s still uneasy.

“I am concerned about my own safety and the safety of other

students,” he said.

School officials are making sure that security personnel and

school resource officers maintain a visible presence on campus to

allay fears, Castellanos said.

Security guards make 14-year-old Megan Barrett feel safer on

campus, she said. But Stephanie makes sure she always has a friend

with her when she walks on campus.

Both said they think the incident was random.

“He’s the nicest guy ever,” Megan said of the injured boy. “I

don’t know who’d want to do that.”

* MARISA O’NEIL covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4268 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.