Howard County police have arrested a former Oakland Mills High School student for making a series of telephone threats to the school by using spoofing software, which is used to gain unauthorized access to computers.

The Columbia boy, 15, was charged Monday with making arson threats, telephone misuse, harassment, second-degree assault, making a false statement about a destructive device and disturbing school operations, police announced Thursday. The boy was released to his parents.

Because of the boy’s age, police did not release his name.

The incidents date back to Sept. 10, when police believe the boy phoned the Howard County Board of Education on a three-way call, with a female on the line. The female left a voice mail message falsely identifying herself as a specific student’s grandmother and stated that the student was carrying a gun in the school, police said. The call was determined to be unsubstantiated — as was a similar call made the following day.

On Dec. 1, the pair made another call, this time to Oakland Mills High School, alleging a different student was carrying a gun, according to police.

On Dec. 4, the pair called Oakland Mills High School and stated there were bombs at the school, police said. The boy also made threats about shooting the school’s principal. School staff kept the pair on the phone line, and the school resource officer spoke with them, determining that the call was a prank.

In all of the incidents, the calls seemed to be coming from a Texas telephone line, leading police to believe the calls were made using online spoofing software. Police subpoenaed phone records, which led them to the boy, police said.

Charges against the female are pending further investigation.

— Mike Santa Rita

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