Jun. 17—A judge on Friday appointed an attorney for a Whitestown man accused of walking undetected into Lebanon High School and pushing a student in April.
The man left the school without challenge and a few days later followed the same student home, sat in his car with a gun in his lap, and posted a video threat to the boy on social media, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Demetrius F. Lauati, 20, was being held in lieu of bond in the Boone County Jail as of press time Friday. Police arrested him Wednesday on charges of intimidation with a deadly weapon and battery.
Boone Superior Court Judge Matthew Kincaid also stipulated that Lauati may be released on bail with supervision. Kincaid appointed former Boone County Prosecutor Todd Meyer to represent Lauati. He is tentatively scheduled for an October trial.
Lauati graduated from LHS in 2022, according to court records. Video recorded by the school shows Lauati confronting a 16-year-old boy in the pool area on April 7, Lebanon Police Detective Jeff Nelson reported. The boy tried to move away more than once, but Lauati blocked his exit during a five-minute confrontation, bumped the teen with his chest, and pushed him, Nelson reported.
Jail records indicate Lauati is 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds.
Bus stop
Lauati videoed the teen getting off of his school bus in front of his home a few days later, according to the affidavit. Lauati videoed from inside a Hyuandi and panned down from the boy to show himself holding a handgun, according to the affidavit. Lauati is heard on video saying, “I’m waiting for you …” and “We’re waiting for you …” Lebanon Police Officer Aaron Carlson reported.
The teen’s mother said that on the day the video was posted, April 13, she saw a gray vehicle stop in front of their home for a few minutes and then drive by very slowly, police reported.
Video recorded by the teen’s bus that day showed a gray Hyuandi sitting on the side of the road at the teen’s home, Nelson reported.
Lauati’s girlfriend saw the video on social media and warned the teen, suggesting that he contact police, according to the affidavit. The teen girl was previously the teen boy’s girlfriend, and Lauati was upset about something he thought the boy said to her, police reported.
Video showed Lauati with a 20-year-old male companion in the high school, but the companion stayed to the side, police reported. The same man is heard in the recording made in Lauati’s car, and the teen said the second man confronted him near school restrooms at one time, according to the affidavit. The second man is known to police but has not been criminally charged. Court records did not indicate if he is, or ever was, a LHS student.
School statement
Eighth hour, the final period of the LHS schedule, ends at 2:45 p.m. The teen told police Lauati confronted him just after the last bell, according to the affidavit.
Asked how someone got into the school to push a student without detection, and what steps have been taken to ensure safety since, Lebanon Community Schools officials answered with a written statement.
According to the statement, a recent graduate entered the school after hours that day, but school officials were not immediately told about the incident.
“At a later date, school administration was made aware of the matter and investigated, following district procedures including issuing an order of no trespass, and cooperation and coordination with Lebanon Schools Police and local law enforcement,” the statement reads.
The district declined comment on specifics, citing an inability to share with the public information related to student discipline or ongoing investigations.