Teen ordered to spend time on probation, pay restitution in Westmont Hilltop threat case

Katie Smolen, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·2 min read

Jun. 28—EBENSBURG, Pa. — A 14-year-old girl detained in February for posting threats on Westmont Hilltop School District properties was sentenced on Wednesday to spend time on juvenile probation and to pay nearly $20,000 in restitution to the school district.

The girl appeared in Cambria County court for the juvenile-level equivalent of a sentencing hearing.

Cambria County Juvenile Probation Bureau officers recommended that the girl be released on July 6 to Adelphoi Village Diagnostic Center, at which her therapeutic needs will be assessed and she will be placed in an Adelphoi facility that will suit those needs.

The teen has been held in a Ohio detention facility since she was apprehended on Feb. 6, but will be transported back to Pennsylvania.

No length of the girl's supervision under juvenile probation was given in court, but according to the state Juvenile Court Judges Commission, juvenile offenders can remain under supervision until they are 21.

Earlier this month, in the juvenile-level equivalent of a plea hearing, the teenager admitted to possessing a firearm as a minor, attempted burglary and two separate counts of terroristic threats.

Information on the contents of the threats and what prompted them has still not been released by authorities.

The notes were posted on two separate dates in late January and early February, causing Westmont Hilltop officials to cancel classes for multiple days. A window at Westmont Hilltop Elementary School was broken by an unspecified object during the second incident.

The girl was ordered to pay $19,899 in restitution to Westmont Hilltop School District. She will also be required to complete 75 hours of community service.

Her defense attorney, Jerome Kaharick, disputed the amount of restitution and questioned how the girl and her family would reasonably pay the amount.

Cambria County Assistant District Attorney Erin Dominick said that the girl's father previously agreed to the payments and that the amount included $13,000 in overtime costs for police coverage, $2,500 for the broken window, and transportation-related that resulted from school being dismissed early after the first note was discovered.