Crime & Safety

Former Student Held on $500,000 Bond for Threatening Violence at Lombard School

Lombard man allegedly began hatching a violent plot about five months ago.

A former student at Glenbard East High School, 1014 S. Main St. in Lombard, has been charged with one count of disorderly conduct, a Class 4 Felony, for allegedly planning to commit an act of violence at the school.

Michael Santoro, 19, of 616 South Finley Road, Lombard, appeared in bond court Wednesday morning, where Judge Elizabeth Sexton set bond at $500,000.

Santoro allegedly made plans of a violent nature against the school last November. The alleged plans remained unknown until February, when Santoro revealed them to an acquaintance, who did not report the threat to police until two weeks ago, according to the complaint. An investigation into the matter led by the Lombard Police Department and the State’s Attorney’s Office led to the charges.

Find out what's happening in Elmhurstwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“I would like to thank the Lombard Police Department for their quick and professional response to the alleged threats,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a prepared statement. “I would also like to thank the individual who had information regarding this alleged threat for doing the right thing and alerting authorities.”

Authorities determined that at no time were students or staff at Glenbard East High School in any danger. Lombard police, who worked closely with school officials to maintain the safety of students and staff, were also able to determine that Santoro allegedly acted alone.

Find out what's happening in Elmhurstwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“This case is an excellent example of a suspect exhibiting warning signs that were subsequently reported to law enforcement,” Lombard Police Chief Ray Byrne said. “This allowed us to work collaboratively with school officials and the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office to conduct a thorough investigation and prevent a potentially violent act.”

In addition to the disorderly conduct charges, Santoro also faces misdemeanor charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of ammunition without a firearm owners ID card. Should Santoro post bond, he will required to be fitted with a GPS monitoring device and ordered to home confinement. In addition, Santoro was ordered to have no contact with anyone from Glenbard East High School and no entry into the school. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 17 in front of Judge Kathryn Creswell.

“We appreciate the hard work of the Lombard Police Department,” Glenbard East Principal Josh Chambers said. “Chief Ray Byrne and his department did a great job. We also appreciate the collaboration and support from DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin.”

This complaint contains only charges and is not proof of the defendant's guilt.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.