By Dan Morse and Aaron C. Davis | Washington Post
Yonatan Getachew, 18, was arrested Tuesday, April 28. Charges against him include attempted first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree arson.
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WASHINGTON DC — Two Montgomery County teenagers have been charged with arson and conspiracy to commit murder in an alleged plot to kill the principal at their White Oak high school in Maryland with a nail-filled bomb and then trigger a major explosion inside the school, authorities said yesterday.
The Springbrook High School students — juniors ages 18 and 17 — are suspected of having set three fires at the school, including one Tuesday before the discovery of the plot that led to their arrests, police said.
According to police, the students planned “in the near future” to throw the bomb into the principal’s office, and then puncture a gas pipe in the school’s auditorium and use an incendiary device to set off an explosion.
Montgomery Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said investigators think the students “really had an intention of doing this.”
“They were surely doing things that made one believe they were going to try,” he said.
Over the past month, the students “constructed and experimented with several different incendiary devices,” said Lt. Paul Starks, a police spokesman. They had also attempted to puncture pipes in the boys’ locker room to determine whether they were gas lines, he said.
Police identified the teens as Yonata Getachew, 18, of the 11500 block of Sutherland Hill Way in White Oak (a native of Ethiopia) and Anthony N. Torrence, 17, of the 13500 block of Greencastle Ridge Terrace in the Burtonsville area. Torrence has been charged as an adult.
Each is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, three counts of first-degree arson and other offenses. They are scheduled to appear in court for bond hearings today.
Acting on search warrants obtained Tuesday night, investigators searched both students’ homes. They found flammable liquids and materials used to make “chemical reaction bombs,” police said in a statement. They also found “notes and plans written by Getachew and Torrence about preparations and the physical design of the school building.”
Other students at Springbrook, just north of Silver Spring, said in interviews that Getachew and Torrence kept a low profile.
“He’s a quiet boy,” senior Jared Mohammed, 18, said of Torrence.
Another 18-year-old senior, Yomi Kolawole, said of Torrence, “I didn’t think he would do something like this.”
In a letter to parents, Principal Michael Durso described the situation as serious.
“We learned yesterday of plans being made that could have resulted in damage to the building as well as potential harm to students and staff,” he wrote.
Officials said they knew of no motive.
“There doesn’t seem to be any precipitating event,” said Jerry D. Weast, the county’s school superintendent. “That is one of the mysteries that we want to solve.”
He praised a police officer assigned to the school for knowing one of the suspects well enough that the student ultimately confided in him. “It’s truly about relationships,” Weast said.
The alleged plans came to light Tuesday when the two were stopped while leaving the school, allegedly after setting a fire in a hallway near an ROTC room. Torrence gave the school police officer extensive information about the plans, police said.
According to police, Torrence said the two planned to beat a female guidance counselor with a bag containing rocks and nails. They also planned to maximize harm from a fire they would start by stuffing paper into air vents and disabling the school’s sprinkler system, Torrence allegedly said.
In an interview, Torrence’s mother said her son has a learning disorder and was manipulated by Getachew into doing things he would not have done otherwise.
“He’s a sheltered child,” Andrea Torrence, 48, said of her son. “He has his problems when it comes to understanding things, but he’s never been in any trouble before in his life.”
No one answered the door yesterday at the red-brick townhouse in White Oak where Getachew lives.
Andrea Torrence said her son told her that Getachew was teaching him to shoplift and had forced him to type a threatening letter to a school staff member. At the school Tuesday, she said, Getachew showed her son how to spray lighter fluid onto the ceiling. At one point, she said, Getachew set fire to lighter fluid on the floor, and her son stomped the fire out.
In the past month, the two students twice set fires in bathrooms at the school, police said.
About 2 a.m. yesterday, Andrea Torrence said, seven or eight officers in SWAT gear arrived at her two-bedroom apartment. Police searched her son’s room and took his computer, cellphone and a letter addressed to him from a hobby store, Torrence said.
At the school yesterday, several students spoke highly of Durso, the principal, and Camille Basoco, the guidance counselor.
“The targets are very surprising . . . seeing as though Ms. Basoco is known for her kindness and personality, as well as Mr. Durso,” said junior Ebony Turner, 16.
(Staff writer Daniel de Vise and staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.)
24 thoughts on “Ethiopian student in Maryland charged with murder plot”
you ethiopian in america whats up. I m reading many murder done by ethiopian
why ?
Living in Montgomery County and believing that the school district is one of the best, it is unfortunate that ANY student would acutally think that they could do this. On top of that, it is a student from our country. How embarrasing to first his parents and family who raised him, but to all Ethiopians who have so much pride in our country! It is too bad that this one student will be giving Ethiopians another bad name.
It’s sad to hear this one of our own would be so misguided to plot this kind of horrific crime. it’s a shame now he’s going to be a criminal for the rest of his life. many parents are busy and not tending to their kids, what they are doing on a daily basis and who their friends are. its scary to imagine what kids could possibly be thinking or plotting in their head these days! i feel sorry for the parents who will have to go through this now in public.
Don’t be Surprise if you see a couple of bad apples in the population of more than hundred thousand. There is one important thing you have to consider they are the product of this society, nothing to do being an Ethiopian.
It is sad to hear this, I think Some Ethiopian Kids should get Some kind of Psychological support in US.
What’s wrong with Ethiopian parents here in the US? They are raising too many dysfunctional kids. Have they traded their time-tested alanga, artchume and quntetcha with the so-called modern way they have no experience with?
Come on now, we all know there are Ethiopian crack heads, (I know some), alcoholics (I know some of those too), and Ethiopians who are homeless. Ethiopians are no different from anyone, so it’s not surprising to find out that some of you are murderers.
What has got to this young kid’s mind. It is sad he happened to be one of our own.
I feel sad about the condition.Parents should follow up their kids everyday and everywhere before this kind of bad things.
You guys are looking America as a single country like Ethiopia,that is not the case,America is almost a continent,think of its geography.Besides the wide geography,all crimes are reported here in the United States where as in Africa there are a lot of crimes going on but knowingly or unknowingly those scenes are not known to the public that is reason why crimes seem more common in America.
If the Ethiopian government reports all serious offenses against the law,the proportion might be much greater than the United States.
let us please wait and see the final evidence. it is weird to hear this but everyone has been pointed their finger on yonatan. sometimes, things will be exaggerrated.I lost a
confidence on abeshas boy especially who grown up here.
so sad
ለምን በሌባ ጎማ ወፌላላ አይገርፉትም? በሳቅ (lol)
I think, some body in prison going to get a good wife. KKKKKK
This is a growing problem in our otherwise peaceful society. I think it has to do with our current situation and lack of pride. A nation that destroys herself will end up like this. I am sorry to say that there is more to come.
very sad
Can we all please follow this case carefully. Because there is some shadyness going on according to the news. As a justice criminal student I found this case intersting because there are many similar cases like this that were reported on a news on African American (blacks) and found not guilty. So, my people do not believe everything you read on the news without carefully following the case. I am saying this because I have seen many films in my criminal justice class about similar cases that have been accused of murder and that have been found inasant after serving 36yrs in jail. I can give my people one fact,”there have been a case in Texas that 25 African American(blacks) that were sentenced to death and was waiting for their punishment, however, from those 25 people 11 found not guilty after many careful review.So I am not saying this kids are guilty or non guilty but I am saying is that let us follow this case real closely please. Because we might be called to testfiy about this history.
God be with you Yonatan Getache.
I am the first cousin of Yonata Getachew. I read all your comments and could not close my computer without responding to your comments – and I will make it short. If only you knew Yonata you would know he is just a kid with a soft and “teddy bear” heart who is incapabable of harming a soul. He grew up in a large, loving and close knitted family. The media and news has extremely exgaggerated the case and the facts don’t add up. Please do not be judgemental – the case is premature. As the case unveils, you will see who Yonata Getachew really is. At this point we need all your support and prayers.
Abel – thank you for your comment.
God Bless!
This is my advice to Ethiopian teens.Please know the person well before you choose him/her to be your friend.So you can have a successfull and blessed life so do your poor parents.Please do not hurt your parents, they work hard to raise you up and have a very strong imgination to see their kids up on the stages like your good friends not like bad ones.
Good luck yonata,I hope you will learn from your mistakes.
I am so sick and tired of Ethiopians that think of themselves as a better people or as a better race. “This will bring a shame to all Ethiopians.” That’s all you care about. You know nothing about the situation or about the family or how they have raised their child! I am the daughter of two loving Ethiopian parents who raised me to the best of their ability. There are so many ignorant and stupid comments on this post. I just could not leave this page without commenting. Before you are quick to turn your back on your people why don’t you just see what evidence is presented in this case? Instead of bashing his parents, why don’t you pray so they can have the strength to see their child through this hard time.
Also what is this African American(blacks) bs? Please do not be fooled. You may see yourself as an Ethiopian but when it comes to the courts and this country we are ALL BLACK. They are not considered with our heritage because to them we are just another black man or woman. So CAN we please stop thinking we are better than African-Americans because when you come to this country with your green cards and then apply for citizenship you are just that an AFRICAN that became an American, hence an African-American.
If anything we should be ashamed that some of you don’t have spell check on your computers and you don’t know how to compile complete sentences. Well I hope that wasn’t too harsh.
God Bless
wey gud betam ygermal mngud new.
I can’t believe he would do this. I’ve never spoken directly to him but I used to see him around a lot and he doesn’t seem like he could plot all this. I don’t think eveyrone should jump to pass judgement so fast. Haven’t you guys learned innocent before proven guilty. The fact that he’s being held doesn’t mean anything his case still has to be proven. And you guys are acting like there is no crime in ethiopia. News Flash ethiopians are like any other group of people. Some will be good and some will break the law and do some terrible shit. So this kid isn’t bringing shame to all of ethiopians. That’s just stupid. Ethiopia’s image doesn’t depend on the crime one person commits. Plus really its his life and shame is the least of his worries right now. I hope this turns out good for him and his family
some of you just give stupid comment stop cursing each other but let us pray for this poor boy and his family .we all have kids and you never know .
God be with you yonatan
I dont know about this torrence guy but Yonatan Getachew is one of the most disciplined men i know. this case is a huge mess. i am sure this plot has got nothing to do with this naive cousin of mine, getachew. accusing and arresting him for such serious case is a shock and disbelief for all the family at home. every body pls stop being judgmental and because it will not be far till we learn his purity and virtue.
stay strong the family!
I dont know about this Terrance guy but Yonatan Getachew is one of the most disciplined boy i know. this case is a huge mess. i am sure this plot has got nothing to do with this naive cousin of mine Yonatan. accusing him and arresting him for such serious case is a shock and disbelief for all the family at home. every body should stop being judgmental and open their ears wide because it will not be far till we learn his purity and virtue.
I dont know about this torrence guy but Yonatan is one of the most disciplined boy i know. this case is a big mess. i am sure this plot has got nothing to do with this naive cousin of mine, yonatan. accusing and arresting him for such serious case is a shock and disbelief for all the family at home. every body pls stop being judgemental and just stay close to the case cuz it is not far till we’ll all learn his purity and virtue.