18-year-old arrested for threat against Arlington schools
Kevin Martinez-Molina
ARLINGTON, Texas - An 18-year-old is facing real criminal charges for what he claimed was a prank social media post threatening Arlington High School.
Arlington police said Kevin Martinez-Molina posted an online threat on Thursday.
The post was circulated on social media and caused a lot of concern in the community.
It also consumed police resources as officers worked to investigate the claim.
However, police believe the post was inspired by other fake school threats that have plagued school districts this week.
Fake online threats causing real problems across North Texas schools
Police tell FOX 4 the threats are mostly fake, copied and pasted from similar threats. However, it’s enough to keep campuses on alert. They say it's a growing trend sweeping across North Texas and the state.
When questioned, Martinez-Molina told officers he created it as a prank.
Martinez-Molina was arrested and booked into the Arlington city jail on a terroristic threat charge, which is a felony.
On Thursday, Arlington police also arrested a juvenile for threatening comments made at Gunn Junior High School.
That teen was also charged with making a terroristic threat and booked into the Tarrant County Juvenile Detention Center. No name was released because the teen is a minor.
Police: Fake school threats have real consequences
Police across North Texas are seeing a rise in school threats. It's causing problems at several schools and even prompted one local school district to close for the day. Officer Jimmy Pollozani from the Fort Worth Police Department explains that fake threats can lead to serious consequences for those responsible.
"The Arlington Police Department will not tolerate any behavior that disrupts students’ ability to learn or places them in fear," the Arlington Police Department said in a news release. "We continue to encourage parents to have frank and honest conversations with their kids about the consequences of making threats. It’s NEVER a joke, and we will never treat it as one."
Martinez-Molina is not an Arlington ISD student, police said.