HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The Sterling High School student accused of stabbing a classmate, which set off a two-hour lockdown last week, could now face additional charges for trying to reach for a deputy’s gun, prosecutors told ABC13 on Friday.
The video above is the ABC13 Houston’s 24/7 Streaming Channel.
According to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, deputies had to restrain Pablo Castaneda, 17, who authorities charged with aggravated assault as an adult in connection with the alleged stabbing, after he reached for a weapon.
The district attorney’s office said this happened while deputies led Castaneda from the 351st District Court to a holding area on Friday morning. Castaneda’s alleged attempt at a gun resulted in a scuffle with deputies.
Records show that a judge had just lowered Castaneda’s bond from $100,000 to $50,000 before the commotion.
SEE MORE: Navigating school threats ‘the new norm’ unless something is done, expert says
The Houston Independent School District Police Department said the original stabbing happened on Sept. 18, and the victim, who got wrapped in a fight with the suspect, survived their injuries.
A Sterling student’s mother shared a video of the stabbing with ABC13, showing her son standing a few feet from the attack.
“My baby is traumatized,” she told Eyewitness News at the time.
Pablo Castaneda is seen in a Harris County courtroom on Sept. 23, 2024, after his arrest at Sterling High School for allegedly stabbing a classmate.
The on-campus chaos was one of several school incidents that authorities said unfolded within a week in the Houston area.
Earlier this week, HISD said recent threats to campus have led to seven students arrested. In addition, the FBI’s Houston field office said it logged more than 30 reports of threats since the beginning of the school year.
Eyewitness News also obtained data from the district attorney’s office, showing 127 criminal charges filed against minors related to threats or the unlawful carry of weapons on campus between August 2023 and now. Eighty-five of them involved weapons.
SEE MORE: Harris Co. school threat data shows charges filed against 127 minors since August 2023
ABC13 obtained critical data on school threats in Harris County, noting criminal charges were filed against 127 students over the last year.
Copyright © 2024 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.