HOMESTEAD, FLA. (WSVN) - A 21-year-old man was arrested in Homestead after investigators said he sent racist and anti-LGBTQ messages on Instagram, including explicit threats to kill and harm others, prompting an FBI investigation.
According to an arrest report, Paul Vincent Critti was identified as the person allegedly operating the Instagram account @saltorfresh.
Investigators said the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center received an electronic tip on Oct. 7 from a person who reported receiving multiple racist and anti-LGBTQ messages, along with threats of violence.
The person told investigators they had no prior relationship or communication with the individual operating the account.
In one message, the sender allegedly wrote, “Every single [racial slur], [homophobic slur], and sympathizer shall be killed.”
In another message, the sender challenged the recipient to confront him, threatening to “paint my driveway with [racial slur] blood.”
Investigators said the sender also made explicit threats of sexual violence, stating that certain people should be “raped and hung.”
During the exchange, the sender provided what appeared to be a Homestead address and shared an Instagram live-location card.
“I just sent you my live location,” the sender allegedly wrote, before challenging the recipient to take action.
The recipient preserved screenshots of the messages and provided them to the FBI.
As part of the investigation, authorities reviewed the Instagram account and discovered posts primarily related to fishing, along with an image showing an individual wearing tactical equipment and holding what appeared to be an AR-style firearm.
Due to the nature of the threats, investigators submitted an emergency request to Instagram’s parent company, Meta, seeking information about the account.
Detectives said the IP address, along with the location information shared through Instagram, helped connect Critti to the threatening messages.
Investigators later responded to the area of Southeast 33rd Terrace, where they located a black Chevrolet registered to Critti.
Officers conducted surveillance and observed Critti entering the vehicle before conducting a traffic stop and taking him into custody Tuesday evening.
According to the report, Critti was transported to a police station, where he was read his Miranda rights and indicated that he understood them.
Critti appeared in bond court, where a judge found probable cause and set his bond at $15,000.
He faces one felony count of making written threats to kill or cause bodily injury.
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