Man Charged with Making Threat at Glenbard East High School

A 19-year-old Lombard man is accused of planning to commit an act of violence at Glenbard East High School, officials said.

Michael Santoro, of the 600 block of South Finley Road, faces one count of disorderly conduct, a Class 4 felony. He appeared this morning in bond court, where Judge Elizabeth Sexton set his bail at $500,000.

Santoro made plans of a "violent nature" against his former high school during November 2012, said the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office in a press release. The plans, which were not detailed in the release, remained unknown until February 2013 when Santoro revealed his plans to an acquaintance. The acquaintance did not report the threat to police until two weeks ago.

A Lombard Police Department investigation into the matter, with assistance from the State’s Attorney’s Office, led to the charges against Santoro.

"I would like to thank the Lombard Police Department for their quick and professional response to the alleged threats," DuPage State's Attorney Robert Berlin said. "I would also like to thank the individual who had information regarding this alleged threat for doing the right thing and alerting authorities."

Through their investigation, authorities determined that at no time were the students or staff at Glenbard East High School in any danger. Lombard police, who worked closely with school officials to maintain the safety of students and staff, were also able to determine that Santoro apparently acted alone.

"This case is an excellent example of a suspect exhibiting warning signs that were subsequently reported to law enforcement," Lombard Police Chief Ray Byrne said. "This allowed us to work collaboratively with school officials and the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office to conduct a thorough investigation and prevent a potentially violent act."

In addition to the disorderly conduct charge, Santoro also faces misdemeanor charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of ammunition without a firearm owner's identification card. Additional conditions of bond, should Santoro post it, will require him to wear a GPS monitoring device and be on home confinement.

Santoro was also ordered to have no contact with anyone from Glenbard East High School and have no entry to the school. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 17 in front of Judge Kathryn Creswell, the release said.

"We appreciate the hard work of the Lombard Police Department," Glenbard East Principal Josh Chambers said. "Chief Ray Byrne and his department did a great job. We also appreciate the collaboration and support from DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin."

Members of the public are reminded that this complaint contains only charges and is not proof of the defendant's guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government's burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Information on these charges were courtesy of the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.

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