Police: East Chicago teacher told student, principal about ‘kill list’
EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (WISH) — A teacher from St. Stanislaus Catholic Elementary School in East Chicago was arrested Thursday after she admitted making a “kill list” that included the names of students and staff.
Angelica Carrasquillo-Torres, 25, was taken into custody at her home in Griffith after officers obtained an emergency detention order from the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office, the East Chicago Police Department said in a Facebook post.
Prosecutors charged her with a felony count of intimidation in Lake Superior Court Criminal Division 2 on Friday.
Police began investigating Wednesday after a fifth grade student told a school guidance counselor that their teacher, identified as Carrasquillo-Torres, made comments to them about killing herself, students, and staff at St. Stanislaus School.
The student also said Carrasquillo-Torres said she “has a list” and the student was “on the bottom of that list,” according to police.
Carrasquillo-Torres was escorted into the principal’s office, where police say she “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.’”
Police say Carrasquillo-Torres “named a specific student on her list,” but did not provide the list.
St. Stanislaus administrators said in a Facebook post that Carrasquillo-Torres “remained under supervision” after the discussion in the principal’s office and “had no further contact with students.”
After students were dismissed Wednesday afternoon, Carrasquillo-Torres was escorted off campus, according to administrators. Police say she was told not to return to campus pending an investigation. Her name has been removed from the school’s online directory.
In response to the arrest, the principal moved classes to an e-learning environment for Friday and the school was making resources available to support students.
“The school is working closely with local authorities and the Diocese of Gary’s Schools Office to ensure that St. Stanislaus students continue to have a safe and supportive environment in which they can learn, grow and prosper,” administrators wrote on Facebook.
Online court records accessed Friday morning did not show that formal charges had been filed against Carrasquillo-Torres.
News 8’s Gregg Montgomery contributed to this report.