San Bernardino District Attorney responds to criticism in school shooting plot plea deal

The San Bernardino County District Attorney is responding to criticism after a plea deal was reached with a young man accused of plotting a school shooting. 

Ontario police said 18-year-old Sebastian Villasenor was planning a mass shooting at Ontario Christian High School, targeting specific students. He was arrested in February and charged with five counts of attempted murder. 

He will now be released on three years of felony probation after serving four months in jail. San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderon said this plea is a better path forward and comes with more repercussions than a trial that could have ended with an acquittal. 

"I understand where parents are coming from but our system doesn't always allow us to have both of those things and unfortunately it is what it is but that's why we tried to thread the needle on this case to work out the terms that we did today," Anderson said Thursday. 

But one father of an allegedly targeted student disagrees with the decision and says Villasenor is a danger to the community. 

"Ontario Christian High School and all these kids would be more safe with Sebastian Villasenor behind bars getting treatment from a professional in a custodial environment," said Robert Dean. 

Anderson said the terms of the probation include searches of his home and electronic devices, weekly counseling and monthly probation reports. He is ordered to stay 500 feet away from the high school and he is not allowed to possess guns, ammunition or body armor for the rest of his life. 

Villasenor's attorney said his client never planned a shooting and the allegations were manufacturred during a police interview.