Three Miami County students accused of inducing panic in threats made at schools in Tipp City and Troy will continue to be held at the West Central Juvenile Detention Facility following initial appearances Thursday in Miami County Juvenile Court.

Judge W. McGregor Dixon Jr. said releasing the teens would be “contrary” to their welfare and the community’s welfare.

Tipp City police on Wednesday arrested a 14-year-old accused of writing a threatening note on a table at Tippecanoe Middle School Feb. 19 and a 15-year-old accused of writing a threat on toilet paper at Tippecanoe High School Feb. 13.

A 13-year-old Troy boy was arrested Wednesday by Troy police and accused of leaving a threatening message in a Troy Junior High School boys’ restroom Wednesday. He is charged with inducing panic.

The investigation into five notes left during the past week at Tipp City schools continues, Tipp City Detective Sgt. Chris Graham said. Police believe the two arrested were responsible for one note each.

Graham said neither of the students gave a reason for writing the threatening messages.

“The police department remains aggressive in its pursuit of these other offenses that at this point are unsolved,” he said.

Separate hearings were held Thursday morning for the teens charged in the Tipp City cases. The Troy teen was in court Thursday afternoon.

Dixon read the charges against each teen before entering denials on their behalf after they and their parents said they would be talking with lawyers. The teens in the Tipp City cases are charged with inducing panic, disorderly conduct and aggravated menacing.

Parents of all three boys asked the judge to consider their release on house arrest.

Pretrial hearings for all three are scheduled for Friday.

The judge explained that, if convicted of the most serious charge of inducing panic, the boys could face a minimum of one year and up to age 21 in the Ohio Department of Youth Services.

Dixon ordered the boys charged in the Tipp City cases to have no contact with each other.

Tipp City schools experienced five days of written threats beginning Feb. 13. The first three threats were written in boys’ restrooms at the high school. Two other threats were made this week at the Tippecanoe Middle School. One threat was in a restroom Tuesday morning while the second was written Tuesday late afternoon on a cafeteria table but not found until Wednesday morning.

No threats were discovered Thursday, Superintendent John Kronour said.

Troy police also are investigating a threat left Tuesday in a high school at Troy High School. No threats were discovered Thursday at Troy schools, Superintendent Eric Herman said.

County Prosecutor Gary Nasal said the cases are being taken “very, very seriously.”

“We are going to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. This kind of conduct cannot be tolerated in the schools,” Nasal said.