Two Cal Poly students made their first court appearance Tuesday following their arrests last month.
The seven felony charges against Charles Hojaboom and Brandon Pham were filed on Dec. 8, 2023 and include:
- Discharging a firearm in a negligent manner
- Possessing of a loaded firearm on a college or university
- Bringing a knife to Cal Poly grounds
With tears in his eyes, Brandon Pham saw fellow Cal Poly student Charles Hojaboom taken into custody.
This was one of the most emotional moments during Tuesday’s hearing.
It's a case presiding Judge Timothy Covello described “as extraordinarily difficult.”
Cal Poly spokesperson Matt Lazier said in a statement that Cal Poly Police officers responded to reports of gunshots and found Hojaboom and Pham along Poly Canyon Road on Nov. 11, 2023.
“Officers found Hojaboom and Pham in possession of a shotgun and a loaded, concealed pistol,” Lazier said. “The two were arrested. Shortly after, officers searched their on-campus residences and found additional weapons.”
A Clery Notification was sent to the campus community on Nov. 16, 2023, once the university learned that both students got bailed out of jail.
Lazier said a Clery Notification is only sent under the following circumstances:
- A reported crime is among the crimes listed in the Clery law
- A reported crime took place on campus or within narrowly defined areas off campus but related to the university
- A reported crime poses a potential serious or ongoing threat to the campus community
“This case initially met only the first two criteria; however, the third was not met when the students were in jail and the potential threat was mitigated,” Lazier explained.
When asked why information was not sent sooner, Lazier said, “While we understand that some community members wanted to hear additional details directly after Nov. 11, it was necessary that police withhold some details in order to protect the integrity of their investigation and to allow the continued gathering of evidence that led to the additional charges filed today.”
During Tuesday’s hearing, new details emerged. Deputy District Attorney Ben Blumenthal said the defendants' conduct in the last six months had been “incredibly dangerous” with offenses dating back to June 10, 2023.
Lazier said that Cal Poly learned of this new information on Tuesday.
“These include a charge of shooting at an inhabited dwelling and several charges of possessing a loaded firearm or shooting a firearm on campus,” Lazier said. “None of these previous incidents had been reported to the university at the time of the Nov. 11 arrests.”
Judge Covello said the court was struck “by the level of recklessness.”
“I've never seen this […] Because it is repeated, because of its proximity to students, because of the actual discharge,” the judge added.
Neither defendant entered a plea on Tuesday.
Judge Covello ruled that Hojaboom will remain in custody without bail.
It appeared that Hojaboom apologized to Pham as he was handcuffed.
Pham, meanwhile, remains out on bail.
His defense attorney and Hojaboom’s father declined to comment.
Their next court appearance is scheduled for next Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023.
