Police: Ceres Student Arrested After Holding Staff Members Hostage

CERES (CBS13) - A 17-year-old male student held two staff members hostage at knifepoint Friday morning at a Ceres high school and had a dead cat in his backpack, according to police.

When police arrived shortly after 8 a.m., the student at Argus High School complied with the officers' orders and was taken into custody. The incident took place in the school office.

News of the terrifying situation spread fast on campus.

"I didn't expect for him to pull a knife on the campus and everything," student John Poncey said Friday afternoon.

Students were told to stay inside.

"The teachers were worried, yes," Poncey said. "They closed the doors and locked it all to make sure we were safe."

The incident appeared to be over when the student quickly complied with officers, but then they made a gruesome discovery. The student had a dead cat in his backpack.

"Kind of disturbs, that he would bring a dead cat," Poncey said.

He was arrested on several felony charges, including false imprisonment, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and terrorist threats. The student also was charged with animal cruelty because he was found to have a dead cat in his backpack, police said.

The staff members were not injured.

The student's name isn't being released because of his age.