Fulfer

The mother of a Baker City man who was arrested after walking into Baker High School around noon on Thursday, April 25 said her son is waiting for a space to open in a treatment facility.

Joshua Mark Kelly Fulfer, 20, was diagnosed with schizophrenia during a 15-month stay at the Oregon State Hospital in Salem.

His parents brought him back to Baker City in March 2023.

Joshua’s mother, Melissa Fulfer, said on Friday morning, April 26 that she is coordinating with officials at New Directions Northwest in Baker City to find a treatment facility for her son.

“We’re just trying to find the best place for him,” she said.

Melissa said she contacted New Directions immediately after picking up her son from the Baker County Jail on Thursday.

Melissa Fulfer said Joshua, who first showed signs of a mental disorder in December 2020, when he was 17, was doing very well after he started taking a new medication earlier this month.

That includes during a family trip to Nashville, Tennessee, about two weeks ago, Melissa said.

Earlier this week, Joshua was arrested after entering a Baker City home without permission, Baker City Police Chief Ty Duby said.

Joshua then walked into the high school on Thursday, entering through the gymnasium entrance at the west side of the school.

Duby said Joshua threw a chair in the BHS commons.

Joshua did not have a weapon, said Lindsey McDowell, public information and communications coordinator for the Baker School District.

No one was hurt.

Jonathan Parsons, the Baker City Police Department’s school resource officer, arrested Joshua just after noon on Thursday.

Melissa said she is concerned that if her son enters another home or building without permission, he could be in danger.

Melissa said a test at Saint Alphonsus Medical Center-Baker City detected marijuana in Joshua’s system.

She doesn’t know where he had access to the drug. She said people with schizophrenia can have bad reactions to the drug.

Melissa said Joshua might have gone to the high school hoping to find someone he knows. He attended the school and played basketball and football.

The Baker School District is planning to install secure access controls this summer at Baker High School’s main entrance, the gym entrance where Joshua Fulfer entered, and the Baker Technical Institute entrance, using money from the bond measure district voters approved in May 2021.