WEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A student at Florida International University is behind bars after, police said, she made a written threat against a scheduled event in a social media group chat.
Twenty-three-year-old Gabriela Saldana appeared in bond court on Thursday afternoon after being arrested on Wednesday.
According to the arrest report, Saldana made the threat in a WhatsApp group chat of about 215 students. The students were discussing an event scheduled for Friday at the university’s Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
7News obtained screenshots of the written threat, in which Saldana appeared to want the event rescheduled and wrote: “[Israel’s Benjamin] Netanyahu, if you can hear me, drop some bonbons for us Capstone students in Ocean Bank Convocation Center.”
In bond court, an FIU Police officer said she also wrote: “There is going to be a bomb in the Ocean Bank Convocation Center and it was going to be Jonathan’s fault,” which was in reference to another student in the chat.
After it appeared, students in the chat didn’t take the message as a joke. Saldana wrote: “I wrote a dumb joke that should not have been made.”
Appearing in front of Judge Mindy S. Glazer, the judge told her that those types of messages aren’t funny.
“I can understand your position when you are saying this is a joke, but to an objective person, it’s not a joke, and it would be enough for probable cause. I’m not saying it’s enough for beyond a reasonable doubt. I don’t know if the state is going to be able to prove it in trial, but for purposes of this hearing, I believe there is enough for probable cause.”
She faces charges of threats to kill or do bodily harm with prejudice. Glazer said she didn’t find probable cause for prejudice.
Saldana’s bond is set at $5,000.
In a statement, FIU said:
An FIU student has been arrested for making a credible and imminent threat of violence at a planned university event. According to the investigation, the suspect identified a specific date, time and venue. Given the ongoing investigation and federal student privacy laws, FIU has no further comment. There is no further threat to the university community.
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