PORTERVILLE, Calif. - Authorities say a man accused of stabbing a 15-year-old girl at Monache High School this week was previously expelled from the same school.
He was identified as Noah Serrate. Police say Serrate entered the high school campus just after 7 a.m. Monday through an unlocked gate and did not raise suspicion from students or teachers. They added that he was on campus for nearly an hour before entering a classroom where a driver’s education class was in session and allegedly stabbed the girl in the leg.
Police said the girl was treated for the injury and is recovering. Serrate is facing multiple felony charges, including attempted murder, according to police. They added that Serrate was already facing charges of making criminal threats against school students and staff. Those court proceedings are ongoing.
He was booked at the Tulare County South County Detention Facility with no bail.
Police say the attack appears to be unprovoked and random, and came just days before classes close down for the summer. A teacher is credited with fighting Serrate before he fled the campus. He discarded some of his clothes on school grounds.
Shortly after the stabbing incident, campus security and the assistant principals arrived to secure the scene, and tend to the student. The campus was then placed on a full lockdown.
Police arrived at the high school at 8:20 a.m., and a police officer located and detained Serrate near Prospect Street and Henderson Avenue, only a few blocks from the school. The weapon allegedly used in the assault was recovered by police, in addition to other evidence collected during a search at Serrate’s residence.
District response
Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident and are asking anyone with information to come forward.
Dr. Nate Nelson, Porterville Unified School District Superintendent, addressed the incident on a Facebook post hours after the incident.
“This morning’s events serve as a difficult reminder of the complex world our students and educators navigate,” Nelson wrote. “But they also reflect the courage, professionalism, and deep care that our PUSD staff bring to their work every day.”
Nelson praised the high school staff for their quick action, especially thanking the classroom teacher who intervened and stopped the attack before the situation worsened, according to the district.
Incident follows others involving teens
Porterville school officials say they are conducting a thorough review of campus security protocols and counselors will be available throughout the week to support staff and students alike.
This incident involving high school teenagers comes weeks after a separate high-profile shooting involving Clovis Unified School District students.
Police say 18-year-old Caleb Quick was shot outside a McDonald’s parking lot on April 23 by a 16-year-old male. The suspect and another 16-year-old girl were arrested and charged with murder.
In a separate case involving teenagers, a 17-year-old Corcoran High School student was allegedly fatally stabbed April 26 by a 15-year-old who is also now in custody.
