Social Media | Crime Scene

SOUTH PASADENA >> Authorities placed South Pasadena High School on lockdown Friday while they investigated a shooting threat posted on social media, police said.
A student saw an image on the photo and video-sharing app Snapchat threatening gun violence at the high school, 1401 Fremont Ave.
The student reported the threats to officials shortly after the school day began, South Pasadena police Sgt. Spencer Louie said.
“The suspect was identified as a 17-year-old male student,” police said in a written statement. “As a precaution, the school was placed on a modified lockdown and officers were posted at the school.”
“Officers responded to his residence to locate him, but were unsuccessful,” according to the statement. “Additional information was obtained as to the suspect’s whereabouts and he was eventually contacted by phone.”
The teen went to the police station, where he was taken into custody later in the morning, officials said.
The lockdown had been lifted and the campus had resumed normal operations by noon.
Anyone with information is asked to contact South Pasadena police detectives at 626-403-7280.

SANTA ANA >> A Los Angeles man admitted to two felony charges in Orange County on Thursday after attempting to recruit an undercover investigator who he believed to be a teenage girl into prostitution via social media, authorities said.
Michael Joseph Mata, 34, pleaded guilty in Orange County Superior Court to one county of attempted pimping of a minor and one count of pandering by procuring, Orange County District Attorney’s officials said in a written statement.
“Mata is a pimp who exploits women for financial gain,” according to the statement. “With the rise in popularity of social media and ease of meeting people on the Internet, many pimps and human traffickers utilize a variety of social media to locate potential victims,” according to the statement.
Between October and December of 2015, Mata was in contact with an undercover investigator, who he believed to be a 17-year-old girl, online via social media, prosecutors said.
“The defendant tried to recruit the officer to perform commercial sex acts for his benefit,” the statement said. “The defendant arranged to meet with the officer and was subsequently arrested by the Orange Human Trafficking Task Force at the arranged meeting spot.”
Mata was immediately sentenced to three years in state prison.
The case prosecuted by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit.