An Indiana teacher was arrested on Thursday for an alleged “kill list” of students and staff at the school where she taught.
East Chicago, Indiana, police say the teacher allegedly told a student she had the “kill list” and that the student was at the bottom of that list.
Police said officers were called to St. Stanislaus School at 4930 Indianapolis Blvd. at about 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The principal and assistant principal told them a student told their counselor that their fifth grade teacher made comments to them about killing herself, students and staff at the school.
According to a Facebook post from the East Chicago Police Department:
On Wednesday October 12, 2022 at approximately 5:00 p.m. Officers were dispatched to St. Stanislaus School located at 4930 Indianapolis Blvd. in reference to a threatening report. Upon arrival, Officers spoke with the Principal and the Assistant Principal of the school. Officers were advised that on Wednesday October 12, 2022 at approximately 12:45 p.m. a 5th grade student told his/her Counselor that their 5th grade teacher made comments to him/her about killing herself, students, and staff at St. Stanislaus School. The teacher further told the student that she has a list and that he/she was on the bottom of that list.
The teacher was immediately escorted in to the Principal’s office to discuss the matter. While discussing the matter in the office the teacher allegedly admitted to the Principal that she did in fact make those statements to the student and confirmed that she did have a “kill list”. During the conversation the teacher named a specific student on her list, but did not provide the list. The Principal then advised the teacher to leave and not return to school pending an investigation.The East Chicago Police Department was not made aware of the situation until 4 hours later after the teacher was allowed to leave. Once Officers were notified they completed a report and notified the Criminal Investigation Division.On Thursday October 13, 2022 the Criminal Investigation Division was able to obtain an emergency detention order for the teacher, from the Lake County Prosecutors Office. The teacher who was identified as 25yr old Angelica Carrasquillo-Torres of Griffith, was taken into custody by our Detectives at approximately 11:15 a.m. at her Griffith residence without incident. This is still an active investigation and no further statements will be made at this time.
“I’m really, like, scared and worried,” said Portia Jones, the student involved. “She said she wanted to choke us, and she wanted to kill herself.”
“They really need to work on this one because this is something serious,” said her father Quiannis Jones. “She’s really, probably, not ever going back there.”
According to police, the teacher was immediately taken to the principal’s office, where she allegedly admitted that she did make those statements and did have a “kill list.”
Police say during that conversation the teacher named a specific student on her list, but did not give the full list.
The principal sent the teacher home and told her not to return to the school pending an investigation.
East Chicago police said the student alerted their counselor to the teacher’s comments around 12:45 p.m. but police were not called until four hours later, after the teacher was allowed to leave.
“They should have never let her walk out them doors. They should’ve called the police right then and there. That’s a threat on the school,” Quiannis Jones said.
The Western Journal noted:
According to WGN, the school later contradicted that statement, saying the teacher was detained on school grounds.
“The teacher was immediately removed from the classroom and detained [while] we investigated the incident. After students were safely dismissed, the teacher was escorted off campus and we notified the police,” an email to parents read.
St. Stanislaus Principal Angelica Foy offered a similar statement to WFLD-TV.
“The teacher was removed from the classroom and escorted to the principal’s office, where she remained under supervision and had no further contact with students,” she said.
Police detained Carrasquillo-Torres at her home on Thursday and said she is currently on a psychiatric hold in a local hospital, according to WFLD-TV.
“I’m worried for my child’s safety,” said Kirsten Saldivar, a parent of a pre-K student at the Catholic school. “A child should not have to fear going to school every day, especially in such a small community of a school.”
“We knew nothing and we went about our normal school days like nothing was wrong,” Saldivar said.
“The original email that we received last night had no information of what was going on other than there was an issue in that specific classroom,” she said.
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