New Port Richey school employee arrested for hiding weapons used by student, police say
Booking image for Emily Medina
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - A report about shots fired in a New Port Richey neighborhood led to the arrest of a school employee, accused of hiding firearms that were purchased by juveniles, according to police.
On Monday, police said they responded to the shots fired call near Van Buren and Main Street. After, officers said they learned that a group of boys was purchasing illegal guns. One of them is a student at Gulf High School.
Officials said the student contacted 20-year-old Emily Medina, a disciplinary aid, after the incident. Investigators believe she picked up the student and drove him away from the shooting scene.
"It was discovered that Medina hid the firearms at her residence so the juvenile male could not be criminally charged," according to a news release from the New Port Richey Police Department.
Medina took two handguns, ammunition, and a backpack, officers said. All were found at her home.
Medina was arrested and faces charges of tampering with evidence and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The agency's news release didn't indicate whether they identified all the young suspects or if they are facing charges.