VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A third man is facing charges after he was accused of threatening to kill the Volusia County sheriff.
Cristhian Zapata, 23, is accused of posting, “I WILL KILL CHITWOOD, MARK MY WORDS,” on 4Chan.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Deputies said Zapata, of Connecticut, posted the threat on 4Chan on April 7, and the Central Florida Intelligence Exchange flagged the post for further investigation.
Investigators said they traced the post to a home in Ansonia, Conn., where Zapata had been living in his sister’s apartment, along with her fiancé and child.
Read: Another 4chan user arrested for threatening to kill Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood
When contacted by police, Zapata’s sister said her brother was always on his computer, often participating in extremist chat rooms and “talking to unknown people about conspiracy theories and white supremacist ideology.” She also told police her brother was fascinated with Adolf Hitler.
When police contacted Zapata, officers said he admitted to posting the threat. He said he’d heard about recent events in Florida, including other online threats to kill the sheriff.
Deputies said Zapata was arrested Wednesday evening by the Shelton Police Department on a felony warrant for making a written threat to kill, which carries a $100,000 bond.
His arrest follows those of Richard Golden in South Brunswick, N.J., and Tyler Meyer in San Diego, Calif., on the same charges.
Their threats came following Chitwood’s response to extremist activity, hate propaganda campaigns, and harassment of Jewish people and others in Volusia County and Central Florida.
Read: ‘This is pure, pure, pure evil:’ Sheriff Chitwood responds to recent wave of anti-Semitism
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group
