Man suspected of sending e-mail threats to Santana students arrested

March 10, 2001

SAN DIEGO (AP) — An 18-year-old man was arrested for allegedly threatening to "finish" the deadly shooting spree at Santana High School.

Patrick Andrew Smith, 18, of Walkersville, Md., was arrested outside his home in Frederick County on Friday night, authorities said.

Investigators flew out from California to take part in the arrest, said Lt. Ron Van Raaphorst, a spokesman for the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

On Wednesday, two 15-year-old girls from Santee, one a student at Santana High School and another at West Hills High, allegedly received threatening e-mails from Smith, Maryland state police said.

One message allegedly warned: "Don't go to school Friday. I liked you, but I'm finishing what Andy started and this time it's going to work." That was an apparent reference to 15-year-old Charles Andrew Williams. He is the Santana freshman accused of the Monday shooting spree that killed two students and wounded 13 other people on campus.

Smith also allegedly sent one girl a message warning: "I'm going to blow your (expletive) head off," according to a police statement.

Williams lived in Brunswick, about 22 miles from Walkersville, before moving to Southern California last summer.

But authorities said they had not found any evidence of a connection between Williams and Smith.

Smith was arrested under Maryland laws for investigation of first-degree assault, e-mail harassment and making threats against a school. In California, he faces two counts of making terrorist threats.

Investigators working for a high-tech crime task force said they also traced e-mail threats received by students at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., to a computer belonging to Smith.