A large, curved, serrated knife was used to threaten a student at Monmouth Regional High School. FREEHOLD — An Eatontown resident faces 364 days in jail after entering Monmouth Regional High School last year and threatening a student while wielding a large knife.
According to a press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, on March 20 Desirae Petersen, 18, of Eatontown, was sentenced to 364 days in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution as a condition of a three-year term of probation for the third-degree crimes of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and terroristic threats.
The sentence was imposed by state Superior Court Judge Ira E. Kreizman, sitting in Freehold.
The sentence follows an incident that occurred at Monmouth Regional High School in Tinton Falls, on May 16, 2008.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, Petersen, who was not a student at the school, entered the school at dismissal time carrying a large, curved, serrated knife, measuring approximately 12 inches in length. After entering through a door at the rear of the school, she sought out the victim, a 16-year-old female student, and confronted her.
When the victim tried to walk away, Petersen punched her in the face, authorities stated. The victim punched Petersen back, which caused the knife to fall to the ground.
Petersen then picked up the knife, placed it on the victim’s neck and threatened to kill the victim, the Prosecutor’s Office said.
The victim was eventually able to get away from Petersen. The knife was knocked out of Petersen’s hand and secured by a teacher.
Petersen then fled the scene, but ultimately surrendered to the Tinton Falls Police Department later that evening, the Prosecutor’s Office said.
This incident occurred in a main hallway of the school at dismissal time when the halls were crowded with students and was witnessed by several teachers and students.
Petersen had pleaded guilty to the charges before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Paul F. Chaiet on January 26, pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement.
The plea agreement was reviewed with and approved by school administrators.
The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office argued that the sentence was fair and in the interest of justice based upon the
facts of this incident — that a knife was brought in to a school and held to a student’s throat — and Petersen’s age and lack of a prior record.
The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office further argued that the particular knife that Petersen used clearly showed Petersen’s criminal intentions.
When imposing sentence, Kreizman indicated the need to deter Petersen and others from committing similar offenses outweighed all of the mitigating factors.
Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis A. Valentin stated, “The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office is committed to using all resources at our disposal to ensure the schools in this county will be a safe place for children to learn. The sentence imposed by Judge Kreizman sends a clear message that school violence is unacceptable.”
After serving the 364-day jail sentence at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, Petersen will be supervised by a probation officer for the remainder of the three-year period.