Overview
- Isabelle Valdez, 15, and Lois Lippert, 14, Lake Brantley High School students in Altamonte Springs, remain jailed without bond following a March hearing.
- Prosecutors played patrol-car footage showing the teens laughing, discussing mugshots and calling the arrest a “bonding experience,” arguing the video shows they pose a danger.
- Police say a Jan. 22 FortifyFL tip led to the Jan. 23 intervention, when a search of Valdez’s backpack recovered a knife and other items allegedly intended for an attack at school.
- Court filings state Valdez fixated on a classmate who reminded her of Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza and believed killing him would create a “blood bond,” with Lippert accused of supplying items and helping sharpen the knife.
- Both defendants have pleaded not guilty; the judge noted she could order mental-health evaluations, and the next court date is set for April 29.